


I Can Show You the World

by Dayo488



Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: Abby is the Queen, Arkadia as Agrabah, Bellamy as Aladdin, Clarke as Jasmine, F/M, Murphy as Genie, Octavia as Abu, Picasso as Raja, Pike as Jafar, Raven as Dahlia, but really it's just a WHOLE LOT OF CHEESE, fun and cheesy fluff, just a hint of angst, live action Aladdin AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-01
Updated: 2020-07-15
Packaged: 2021-03-05 05:07:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 24,719
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25018993
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dayo488/pseuds/Dayo488
Summary: In the faraway place of Arkadia, Bellamy and his sister Octavia have to resort to stealing and trading in order to survive. One day they encounter Clarke, who is a Princess in disguise, and she and Bellamy start to fall for each other... but as usual, things don't always work out the way you want them to and since Clarke is required by law to marry a Prince, they can't be together.Until Bellamy finds an old oil lamp with a new friend inside that might be able to help him with that...
Relationships: Bellamy Blake & Octavia Blake, Bellamy Blake/Clarke Griffin, Clarke Griffin & Raven Reyes, John Murphy/Raven Reyes
Comments: 24
Kudos: 74





	1. Part 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my goodness you guys! I wrote this WHOLE THING in four days I was ridiculously excited about it. It's got four parts (was supposed to have three, but if you've read my other works you know i always write more than i plan lol). Seriously this thing is ONE BIG CHEESE FEST, as one would expect of a Disney AU but it's fun and if it puts a smile on even one person's face I'll be happy.
> 
> It came about while I was watching it with my kids one morning and all I saw was Bellamy and Clarke and it wouldn't leave me alone so I decided what the heck!
> 
> It follows the plotline of the live action Aladdin (which, if you haven't seen it yet, go do! It's so good!) pretty closely, but there's still some differences here and there to make it my own. It's not a musical, they aren't singing, but I've included some of the iconic song lyrics into the dialogue (hence the cheese) that I hope you all enjoy! Either way, I hope you have fun with it like I did! ❤
> 
> If you are unfamiliar with how I structure my stories, dashes ---- indicate scene change, astericks *** indicate POV change

“Daddy! Daddy!” Ethan and Reese shouted as they ran full speed past Clarke. The skirt of the dress she was wearing swooshed after them. She gripped the railing of the ship to keep her balance, laughing as she watched them dart under beams and over various rough spots on the deck. The sun was high in the sky, bright and warm and the soft breeze displaced her waves and she wondered why she even bothered trying to braid it back when the ocean’s gust just undid her attempts at taming it.

“They just never stop, do they?” Bellamy asked, joining her and leaning back against the rail, pretending to be exhausted by it, though Clarke knew he wanted kids more than anything. He reached over and tucked a curl back behind her ear, eliciting a pink blush to rise on her cheeks.

 _Oh that’s why_ , she thought to herself. She’d never stop loving the gentle and automatic way he tucked her hair back when it did fall out of her braid, the feel of the rough pads of his fingers against her soft skin. 

“Did you expect any kids of Murphy’s to be anything but energetic and demanding?” she responded with a smirk.

“Fair point. You want to go see what they’re trying to talk him into this time?” 

“Definitely.”

Bellamy reached out a hand to Clarke and she took it, her heart skipping a beat at a memory from years ago. 

_Do you trust me?_

Her answer to that would always be yes.

“You want _another_ story?” Murphy was asking, mockingly exasperated at his children’s insistence. “You know Uncle Bellamy is the better storyteller.” Bellamy let out a little chuckle next to her.

“We want _you_ to tell us, Daddy!”

“Come on!”

“You might as well indulge them, Murphy, you know how they are when they set their minds to something,” Raven said, emerging from the cabin to their left.

“Wonder where they got _that_ trait from…” Octavia smirked, jumping down from the upper deck and snatching three oranges from Raven’s basket, immediately starting to juggle them.

“Okay, okay, fine. Gather around kids,” Murphy beckoned, finding a seat on a wood box. “Which story should I tell this time?” he mused, tapping his chin with his finger.

“The one where you all became friends!” Ethan requested. 

“It’s so _romantic_!” Reese shrieked and clapped, swooning and nodding her head furiously in agreement. 

“I like the _action_!” Ethan countered. Clarke smiled at the little ones, their energy and enthusiasm ever present. 

Bellamy sighed. “Oh no, not this one again,” he groaned. 

Clarke leaned over. “What? You don’t like the story where we fell in love? Should I be offended?” she asked with a quirk of her eyebrow. 

Bellamy backtracked immediately. “No, no - that’s not - shut up,” he mumbled, slapping a hand to his face.

Clarke laughed and reached up on her tiptoes to kiss his cheek. “Well, I for one, _love_ this story.”

“Of course you do, you’re the Princess,” he pointed out amusedly. “I’m the street rat.”

“You were never a street rat,” Clarke told him, suddenly serious. “You were always so much more than that.”

He smiled shyly at her, as he did whenever she insisted he was worth more than what he thought of himself. “How did I ever find someone like you?”

She laughed again. “Well, sit down, and we’ll listen and find out.”

Octavia was busy cutting the oranges she’d just been juggling, handing a bowl to each kid and keeping one for herself and settled next to Raven, who was already planted in one of the chairs next to the cabin with a table in front of her, cutting vegetables for dinner. Clarke tugged Bellamy over to a bench built into the side of the ship and his arm lifted automatically so she could tuck herself into his side. 

“Okay, is everyone ready now?” Murphy asked, pretending to be irritated. 

“Yes! Yes! Come on!” Reese begged.

Murphy’s expression softened at his daughter and his lips quirked upwards. “Hmm, where should I start?”

“Far away place, Dad!” Ethan said impatiently, to everyone’s chuckles.

“Right, right. Okay. Imagine a land in a faraway place, where horses with saddlebags packed roam the forests. It’s a place filled with wonder and adventure and it’s chaotic, but hey, it’s home...”

\-----------------------------

Clarke was going to get in _so much trouble_ if her mother ever found out. But she hadn’t been out of the castle in literal years and with Raven’s help, she’d finally slipped the guards and was on her way to the streets of Arkadia.

Raven, her personal attendant, had let her borrow some clothes and a scarf to wrap her blonde tresses in, knowing she’d been instantly recognized as the Princess if anyone caught even a glimpse of her hair. So she’d twisted it into a braid and wrapped it up so she would be able to pass as a commoner. 

She jumped down from the wall, trusting that Raven would move the ladder from the other side so no one would find out she escaped. She straightened up from the crouch she’d landed in and looked around. She’d only ever had her books and drawings from her fading memories as a small child when she would venture into the city with her father to provide her with knowledge of what Arkadia looked like. 

However, in the twelve years since she’d been out from beyond the wall, since her father died when she was six, the city had apparently drastically changed from what she remembered. While she knew her six year old self’s memory couldn’t exactly be trusted completely, she honestly thought it would at least look _familiar_ to her.

But what she saw in front of her now couldn’t be farther from her recollection.

She remembered the shops and the stands selling fabric and food and spices and jewelry and whatever other goods they’d either created or found or been traded. She remembered the looks on their faces; people were happy, laughing and making small talk as they hugged and talked prices. Children kicked balls down the streets, yelling and dodging the customers, an apple in one hand and smiles on their lips. She remembered meeting and playing with them, always the curious one.

Now, while the shops and stands were still there, the shopkeepers had hard expressions, scowls on their lips where the smiles once were, harsh words instead of friendly banter. Guards lined the streets, eyeing anyone who could possibly be doing something out of order. The customers scoffed and insulted the goods and their prices. The children sat against walls, long looks on their faces and clothes that hung too loosely on their small frames.

What happened to the Arkadia she remembered? The Arkadia that was thriving and busy with life and love and laughter?

Had her mother fallen into such an awful state since her father died that she’d allowed her city and the people she was supposed to nurture and protect to fall onto such hard times? Did she even _know_ what was going on beyond the wall? She thought Pike said the city was doing well.

Clarke started wandering around, trying to give a smile to who she could, though more often than not, it’d be met with a dirty look or two. Her heart grew heavy with every step, despair evident everywhere.

Queen Abigail wasn’t always like how she was now. She was lively and energetic, a caring and attentive Queen. And together with King Jacob, Arkadia had been in the best position they’d been in for decades. But then King Jacob had fallen ill, an illness that no one could figure out the cause of, and died a couple months later and for all intents and purposes, Queen Abigail died that day as well. She became withdrawn, only doing the bare minimum to keep their kingdom afloat, mostly relying on her advisor Pike to handle the day to day stuff.

Still, Clarke had no idea she’d let it get this bad.

She knelt down next to a little group of children. 

“Hey, little ones, are you - ” she started, but stopped herself. Asking if they were okay seemed like a ridiculous question so she redirected. “Is there anything I can help you with?”

They looked up at her with scared expressions and shook their heads. Clarke furrowed her eyebrows a little. She glanced around a little and noticed one of the stands’ owners were busy haggling with a customer on the other side of the booth. She bit her lip.

It was wrong to steal, she knew that. But she was the Princess, and she had a duty to keep these kids fed. She told herself she’d return and pay it back tenfold to the shopkeeper in the next few days. She would have brought something of value or money to give if she’d known.

Before she could think any deeper about it, she snatched a loaf of bread off the table and returned to the children. She started breaking it apart and dispersing it amongst them, and the tears in their wide eyes as they took in the fresh food was all the confirmation she needed that she’d done the right thing. That she’d done her job as their Princess.

At least, until a strong arm wretched her up and spun her around. She came face to face with a guard three times her size, his hot breath on her face making it hard for her to breathe. A quick glance behind her revealed the shop owner she’d just stolen from watching the confrontation.

“And how do you expect to pay for that?” the guard sneered.

Clarke didn’t know what to say. If she revealed she was the Princess, she’d be under even closer watch back in the palace once she was delivered to her mother. But if she didn’t, who knew what punishment the guard had in store for her. 

She was completely and utterly _screwed_.

***

The day was _hot_. And not just in an _if you stand directly in the sun_ or _if you’re running around_ kind of way, but the kind of way where even if you were standing directly in the path of a fan with a bottle of ice cold water to drink, you’d still be sweating bullets.

It was the kind of day Bellamy dreaded the most, since people were cranky from the heat and were less likely to forgive a stolen apple or two or even to trade decently. 

It was the kind of day where he and Octavia couldn’t disguise themselves well, since they had to be wearing the least amount of clothing as possible to keep from passing out. They had to resort to other, less savory means of obtaining food on these days. At least they weren’t out of place - everyone else looked as they did.

Except for one person.

Bellamy first noticed her because of the scarf over her head and the heavy cloak draped over her shoulders. She wore long sleeves and pants and a scarf over her head. Even from his vantage point at the second story window of Nygel’s shop he’d just tried (and failed) to trade something he’d stolen the week prior in, he could see the light sheen of sweat on the fair skin of her face. 

Was she crazy? If she wasn’t careful, they’d be picking up her dead body in a few hours. 

Then the sun reflected off something on her wrist and his attention was drawn to the silver watch. If she was going to be dead in a few hours, then she wouldn’t need the watch anyway.

Bellamy hated being this person though. The person who thought these kinds of morbid thoughts. But if he didn’t, he and Octavia would’ve been dead years ago of starvation and exposure. He started making his way to the stairs that would lead him down to the street when Nygel called him back, finally letting him trade his stolen property for three bananas. It wasn’t of equal value, but she didn’t ask questions about where he’d gotten the necklace and he wasn’t going to turn down food. 

He stepped out into the street from the sun and looked around for the woman, spotting her instantly. Before he could even take a step though, he felt a tug on his shirt and he looked down to see a child look up at him. 

No, not at him, at the bananas. 

“Please, sir? My brother and sister are hungry, if you can spare even one of those bananas, I can split it between them.”

Bellamy sighed. “But then what will you eat?” he asked, already knowing the answer. It was always the same. 

The little boy shook his head. “I’m not worried about me, I’m worried about them.”

Bellamy crouched down to him. “You each deserve more than this, but here.” Bellamy pressed all three bananas in the boy’s hands. “You can have all of them, but only if you eat one yourself.”

The boy’s eyes widened. “Really?”

“Really.”

“Tha - thank you,” the boy breathed like Bellamy had just given him gold. He ran back over to the little kids around the corner and handed them each one. Bellamy watched as he hesitated with the third for a moment before breaking it in half, eating only one of the halves himself and splitting the other half between his brother and sister. 

Bellamy shook his head. He knew what that was like. 

He turned back to see if he could still spot the woman and once again, the glint of the watch was what caught his attention. With a shiny bauble like that, there was probably another handful of thieves like him eyeing it too. 

But as he made his way towards her, he stopped in his tracks when he saw what she was doing. 

So the mystery woman was a thief herself. 

Well, that made him feel better about making her a mark.

Then she hurried over to some children by the wall and saw her quickly divide the bread amongst them and he pursed his lips. 

Damnit.

She was stealing for _them_. 

Now he felt worse.

The woman was an enigma.

Bellamy saw the commotion before she did, and he picked up his pace as the guard he knew as Gustus manhandled her away from the children. With no thought to the fact that he’d be drawing attention to himself, which was something that was a huge _don’t_ , especially with Gustus, he pushed past the crowd, trying to get to her. It was only a few seconds until he was in earshot.

“And how do you expect to pay for that?”

The woman’s eyes went wide with panic and her lips trembled.

“Please, sir, the kids were hungry and I didn’t think - ” she tried and Bellamy stuttered a bit in his steps. Her voice was easily the sweetest sound he’d ever heard. 

“Oh you didn’t _think_? Well do you know what the punishment for stealing is?” Gustus asked mockingly.

 _Oh shit_.

“Please, sir,” she pleaded.

“Your hand, in exchange for the bread,” Gustus informed her with a wicked smile.

“What? You take people’s ha - no you can’t! How dare you!” she protested, her voice no longer wavering and pleading, but instead furious and aghast.

Gustus had just slammed the wrist not adorning the watch down on the table and had withdrawn his sword when Bellamy finally reached them, stepping between the woman and the guard. 

_Perfect_.

“Gustus, buddy, what’s going on here?” he asked snarkily, forcing his voice to remain steady, to cover the fact that his heart was pounding.

“Get back, Blake, before I search you and find something that lets me finally take one of _your_ hands,” Gustus sneered. “She stole the bread and can’t pay for it, you know the law, street rat.”

Bellamy ignored the jab. “Will you take this watch in trade for the loaf?” Bellamy asked with an eyebrow cocked, holding up the watch he’d just relieved the woman of. Gustus did a double take and narrowed his eyes at Bellamy.

“Hey no that’s - ” the woman whispered harshly behind him but Bellamy glanced at her quickly, giving her a hard look. She clamped her mouth shut.

“Where in the hell did you - ” Gustus started, but the shopkeeper, a particularly greedy owner Bellamy recognized as Echo stepped forward with a grin on her face. They had a brief fling a few years back, but she was ruthless and had little compassion so they didn’t last long. But because he knew her, he knew she’d take the offer.

“Deal,” Echo said, holding out a hand into which he dropped the watch.

“What?!” Gustus said, incredulous. 

“No!” the woman gasped behind him and he glanced at her, softer that time, when he saw the devastation on her features.

This was becoming quite the hassle for something that wasn’t even going to benefit him or O anymore, but there was something in her eyes, which he was just now noticing were the bluest eyes he’d ever seen, that prompted him to keep helping her. Maybe it was the sorrow, maybe it was the soft spot he felt for her generosity with the children, maybe it was the kindness and selflessness he saw when he looked at her, but he looked directly in her eyes, making sure she was seeing him too.

“Trust me.”

Her lips parted as she breathed in sharply and he got lost in her for a moment as he saw the emotions flick through her understanding - anger, indignation, fear, longing, desperation, and finally, resignation, for the man that so far had at least managed to keep her one jump ahead of the sword.

He didn’t deserve her trust, he knew that. Gustus was right, he was nothing more than riffraff, a scoundrel who would steal from a woman he’d never met, who he’d written off as crazy.

But he still hoped she would.

The woman nodded, and he caught sight of a small curl of her hair poking out of the scarf on her head, a blonde wisp that tugged at something in his memory that he couldn’t quite place, but as soon as she realized what he was looking at, she tucked it back out of sight quickly, a slight pink tinging her cheeks.

He turned back to Gustus and Echo.

“So we good?” he asked firmly and Echo nodded. Gustus spouted off some obscenities but stalked away, leaving them alone. Echo tucked the watch into the bag hanging at her side and turned to leave. He turned back to the woman behind him, grabbing her hand. 

“What are you - that was my watch!” she whisper-yelled at him. He just smirked at her.

“Come on,” he said quietly, pulling her along. He let his shoulder ram into Echo’s as he brushed passed, his quick, skilled fingers lifting the watch easily from her bag. He mumbled an apology and she gave him a dirty look, but she turned back to her stand.

“I’m not leaving without that watch,” the woman insisted once they were a few feet ahead of Echo, who still had no idea she’d just been stolen from.

“You mean this one?” he asked, dangling it in front of her. He was more pleased than he should’ve been at the smile that appeared on her face as she understood what had just happened. It was almost more brilliant than the sun.

“BELLAMY!!” he heard Echo shout. He glanced behind the woman and saw Echo raging mad, shouting at Gustus. “Rip him open, take it back!” she roared.

“Oh, shit. We need to go, _now_ ,” Bellamy said, tugging the woman along and darting around the corner. He ran straight into Octavia.

“Whoa, big brother, where’s the fire?” she asked. “Who’s this?” she nodded at the woman.

“She’s - a long story. We gotta get out of here. Get her back to the palace? I’ll draw them away.”

The woman’s eyes went wide again. “The palace?! No, I - ”

“Not _the_ palace, _our_ palace,” he told her, interrupting. She still looked confused, but he didn’t have time to explain. “O?”

“Yeah, I got her. This way,” his sister said, exchanging his hand for hers so she could pull the woman into an alcove a few feet away. 

He tried not to focus on the unwarranted sense of loss he felt when they disappeared. Bellamy sighed and turned, walking backwards away from the street as Gustus appeared in the alleyway with a murderous look in his eyes.

Bellamy held up the watch. “Looking for this?” he taunted. 

All he had to do was stay one jump ahead of the lawmen. Why couldn’t they just appreciate that he's broke?

***

Clarke could barely keep up with what was happening. One second, she was feeding hungry children, the next, a strange man was keeping her hand attached to her arm by giving away her father’s watch, the next, she was hopping around buildings with his sister.

“Who the hell are you?” she asked as they ran. Clarke wasn’t out of shape by any means, but she was still having trouble keeping up with the agility of the other woman.

“Name’s Octavia, or O, if you find that to be a mouthful. You can thank my brother for that,” she threw behind her shoulder as she darted up some stairs to the roof. They looked incredibly similar, both dark skin and brown hair, but she noticed the difference in their eyes. Octavia’s were green, while her brother’s were chocolate.

Clarke’s heart skipped a beat when she remembered his eyes. She shouldn’t trust him, he was a thief. Was probably planning on stealing her watch himself. But there was something about him she couldn’t help but trust anyway, the way he’d looked at her, the warmth in his soul unmistakable and striking a cord with her own for some reason. 

So she let Octavia lead her around the city, because if she was going to trust that man, she might as well trust his sister too, and cursed herself for the fact that Raven was going to be worried sick and pissed that she’d have to come up with an excuse if Clarke missed dinner with her mother. 

“Here,” Octavia said, handing her a long pole.

“What do you want me to do with this?” Clarke asked, confused once again.

“We’re jumping.” Octavia nodded at the next building. “The palace is just around there.”

“What?! No, I’m not - ” Clarke started protesting, but there was shouting and yelling behind her and a quick glance back showed Bellamy running just a little ways away, looking down between the buildings.

“It’s either jump or get caught. And Bellamy will be pissed if you get caught, so just do what I do, okay?”

Clarke nodded and watched as Octavia jumped over with ease. 

“I can’t do that!”

Bellamy reached her then, panting and out of breath. “You gotta go. If they climb those stairs, we’re done for.”

Clarke bit her lip and hesitated still. “I don’t - ”

“You can do this,” he told her earnestly and she almost believed him.

He gripped her shoulders. “Do you trust me?”

“I - I - ” she stammered. _No, I don’t even know you_ she wanted to say, should say. But instead, what came out was “Yes.”

He grinned and she swore she blacked out at the sight of it for a second, when she was suddenly lifted up off the ground, her arms wrapping around his neck automatically. He was carrying her with one arm and had the pole in the other. 

“Wait, what are you doing?”

He quirked an eyebrow and laughed. “Staying one jump ahead,” he told her and suddenly he took off at a sprint.

“Nononononononono,” Clarke repeated and squeezed her eyes shut. She tucked her head into his neck as the wind whipped through her cloak and she was sure they were airborne. A sudden stop and the ground reappeared beneath her feet. They’d made it.

“Holy shit,” she said, laughing in spite of herself. 

Octavia snorted and shook her head, smiling and rolling her eyes as her brother shoved her shoulder. 

“Come on, let’s lose these guys,” he said tilting his head and setting off again. 

_Oh good. More running._

\-----------------------------

“Welcome to _the Palace_ ,” Octavia said with a flourish pushing aside the curtain as they entered a hole, cave, _something_ she couldn’t quite figure out what to call it at the very top of an old stone building.

It was messy, but charming, trinkets and baubles scattered around, a bed of various blankets and pelts at either end of the space. There was a fire pit off to one side, presumably for cooking and keeping warm when the weather wasn’t blistering hot. She really underestimated how overheated she’d be in these layers when she left the - her - palace that morning.

Had it only been since that morning since she’d left?

The man rubbed the back of his neck. “It’s not much, but it’s home,” he said, and she detected embarrassment in his tone. “Should be safe hunkering down here for a while.”

“It’s - cozy,” she settled on. “Warm,” she added. 

“Well, that’s probably because of the numerous amounts of clothing you’re wearing,” Octavia pointed out disapprovingly, but handed her a bottle of water anyway, which Clarke drank greedily. That wasn't the kind of _warm_ Clarke had meant, but it worked both ways.

“Right, well, um, I guess - ” Clarke hesitated. The cloak was Raven’s, so not really hers to give away, but she needed to get rid of some layers and these two had helped her out when they didn’t have to. They deserved something as thanks. She’d commission Raven a new one when she got back. “Here,” she said, handing O the cloak. “Thank you, for getting me out there, both of you. You didn’t have to do that, but you did anyway. Saved my hand.”

“Thanks,” Octavia said, smiling at her and accepting the gift. She glanced between Clarke and Bellamy. “I’ll, uh, go keep watch.”

Clarke turned to look around some more, and practically ran when she saw there was a balcony. She heard some whispering behind her, but she ignored it in favor of staring out at the landscape below.

“Wow,” she breathed. “This is incredible. And I - I can’t believe all that actually just happened,” she said, spinning around to see him still standing in the same spot, though Octavia was nowhere in sight.

He smiled again and stepped closer. “You’re welcome, uh…?” he trailed off, clearly asking for her name. She couldn't tell him outright, he’d think she was crazier than he already did and probably send her back. 

She wasn’t ready to go back.

“I’m, uh, Raven,” she said, cursing herself for not thinking of anything more clever.

“No, you’re not,” he said, smirking. “But that’s okay, you don’t have to tell me. You’re from the palace - the real palace - though?” he guessed and she started panicking.

“Wha - what? No,” she denied pathetically. “Why would you think that?”

“You’re afraid to tell me your name, for one. For two, you’re not exactly dressed as a commoner - that blouse is imported, you can’t get that fabric here in Arkadia. And you freaked out in the alley when I told O to take you to the palace.” He crossed his arms and stared her down, challenging her to refute him.

Never one to back down, she narrowed her eyes. “Impressive. I am... one of Princess Clarke’s attendants.” Bellamy whistled at the revelation. “But, not quite as impressive as this view. I, uh, would love to paint it,” she added, turning again to the city below. 

She felt him come up next to her, so close their arms brushed. “You should see it when the stars come out at night,” he said softly, leaning down close to her ear, eliciting a shiver to run up her spine. “Here. More water,” he said, handing her another bottle. 

“No, I couldn’t possibly. You two probably need it more than I do.”

A hard look crossed his face only briefly. She felt bad, she hadn’t meant to insult him.

“I’ll grab more tomorrow,” he shrugged, still holding the bottle out. She took it that time, opening it and forcing herself to take slower sips than the last bottle.

“You mean you’ll _steal_ more tomorrow?” she asked and _damnit_ why couldn't she just shut the hell up. It was rude, even though she’d meant it more as a joke.

But thankfully he seemed amused. “Gotta eat to live, gotta steal to eat,” he told her. 

She hummed. “Right,” she remarked absently, hating that anyone had to live that way. “Arkadia is so beautiful. I miss being out in it. Among the people.”

“You should get out more then, tell the Princess to give you vacations,” he teased. But then he grew more serious. “Maybe you _and_ the Princess should get out more, it’s been years since the people have seen her.”

Clarke’s smile dropped. “Yeah. Ever since the King’s death, the Queen doesn’t let her leave. She’s worried something will happen to m - her,” she told him. “But instead it just makes her feel - ”

“ - trapped,” he finished for her and her eyes snapped to his. While the two of them were worlds apart, she suddenly felt a connection with this man, like maybe he might actually _get_ her. And for the first time in a long time, for just a second, she didn’t feel so alone anymore. 

It scared the hell out of her.

She cleared her throat. “So, uh, what about you? Where are your parents?” 

“I never knew my dad, and my mother died of infection after a guard chopped off her hand for stealing to feed me and O,” he told her, sorrow lacing every syllable. 

“I’m so sorry, that’s - horrible,” she said, disgusted. Clarke couldn't believe Arkadia’s citizens were being treated this way. She’d have to talk to her mother when she returned. Find some way of alerting her to the atrocities without revealing that she’d left the palace.

“Yeah, well, I - ” he began but was interrupted by horns in the distance.

_Oh no._

“I have to go, I have to get back to the palace,” she said.

She was supposed to have more time. 

Stupid idiot princes.

“Uh, okay, right. I’ll take you,” he waved her on.

Twenty minutes later, they were outside the wall, and Bellamy had managed to find a ladder to prop up against it. She put her foot on the bottom rung before she remembered.

“Oh, my watch?” she asked.

“Right, sorry, here,” he said, reaching into his pockets. He chuckled nervously for a moment as he searched around his clothes. “I must’ve left it back at home…” he mumbled.

Understanding dawned on her.

She was right all along.

He _was_ planning on stealing the watch for himself.

“You really are a thief,” she said factually. 

“No, no I’m - well, yes, I _am_ , but - ”

“That watch was my father’s,” she told him, trying to hold back her tears that started welling up. “I thought you were different - I hope it was worth it,” she told him, her voice betraying her and breaking a little. She saw the shame in his eyes, but she turned her back on him anyway and started climbing the ladder. He tried to say something but it was lost to the horn that sounded again. She needed to hurry.

Once she was over, she glanced back at the wall as if she could see through it. Was he still standing there? Was he already headed to the nearest shopkeeper to sell the last thing she’d had of her father’s? Her wrist felt so light and empty.

She wiped at her face and held her head high. She wouldn’t waste any more time on the man with innumerable freckles on tanned skin and the eyes that she’d fallen for. The arms that had saved her and the voice that had made her trust a complete stranger. She felt like an idiot. 

But at least she’d never have to see him again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm DYING to know what you all think!! I hope it made you smile! ❤
> 
> Like I said, it's all written and just needs to be edited, so it'll be posted twice a week for this week and next.
> 
> THANK YOU!!
> 
> If you want to come hang out on tumblr, click [here](https://dayo488.tumblr.com/)!


	2. Part 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey all!
> 
> I'm happy to see that you enjoyed Part 1! Thanks for giving this silly little thing a shot!
> 
> Here's Part 2 for you ❤
> 
> Stay safe and healthy everyone!

“What the hell were you thinking, O?”

“Hey Bell, what’s up?” his sister asked nonchalantly. The sun had started setting by the time he finally found her, on her way up to the Palace. He’d checked there already as soon as notRaven disappeared over the wall, but she wasn’t there. So he’d spent the next couple hours searching frantically before returning.

_You were born worthless, you will die worthless, street rat._

During his search he’d had another run in with a guard on horseback, who was making way for yet another Prince to bid for the hand of the Princess. The guard had almost run over a kid and Bellamy had grabbed the little girl at the last minute before she was trampled. When he’d yelled at the guard to watch where he was going, the guard had spit at him and reminded Bellamy of his place. 

But he was better than that. He had to be. There was so much more to him than a thief.

Despite the little voice in his head wondering if the guard was right.

“Please tell me you still have it,” Bellamy begged his sister desperately. He wasn’t sure when exactly he had started caring about what a woman who he’d known for only a few hours thought of him, but he knew the moment he saw that disappointed look in her eye as she realized he didn’t have the watch that he did care.

He cared about her way more than he should, way deeper than was sane or rational, but one thing at a time. 

He had to get that watch back to her.

“Have what?”

“Don’t act like you don’t know what I’m talking about,” he said sharply. O turned and looked at him with surprise - he didn’t use that tone with her often. “Where is the watch?” 

“Why?” she asked carefully.

“I need to get it back to - her,” he finished lamely. He really was going to need to find out what her real name was.

“Bell, that watch could feed us for at least three months - if not longer. Not to mention feed some of the kids,” she pointed out. And his sister wasn’t wrong. “She’s from the palace, probably has already replaced it with another one. Why do you care? You barely know her.”

“I - I don’t know, O, I just know I need to get it back to her. It was her dad’s and - I mean, how would you feel if someone stole Mom’s necklace? I just - I want to get it back to her.”

Octavia deflated. “Bell - ”

“Don’t, okay, I know. I know it’s stupid and crazy and not normal, but I - I care, okay? So where is the watch?” he asked again.

Octavia stared at him a minute before sighing. “Fine. But you’re doing the shopping for the next month,” she insisted, pulling the watch out of her pocket and handing it over. “You better not get caught in that palace or a chopped off hand will be the least of your worries. Be careful, okay?” 

He nodded. “I will.”

***

“And gold! Lots of gold!” Prince Finn was dramatically gesturing to some embellished statue behind him. Clarke couldn’t care less.

“Gold, Clarke. Something helpful for the kingdom,” her mother said, detached.

Their kingdom didn’t need gold, it had plenty already. It needed someone to care for it, for the people. She wished this stupid law didn’t exist. That a Princess could only rise to Queen if she were married to a Prince. Otherwise, if her mother passed or abdicated, she’d be kicked out, her beloved people ruled by the nearest kingdom’s royal family. Clarke’s love for Arkadia was the only reason why she bothered entertaining the visiting princes. She hoped one would be tolerable enough to marry so she could do something to help. 

“Wow,” Clarke commented sardonically. 

“Has anyone ever told you of your beauty, Princess?” he marveled.

“Once or twice,” she told him, bored.

“You would make a fine wife. Imagine, the portraits they’d paint of us!” 

Clarke gagged a little bit in her mouth and bit the inside of her cheek to keep from saying something she’d regret. But this guy was just _itching_ to be thrown out on his ass. Next to her, she could tell Raven felt the same way. She was very protective of Clarke, they’d grown up together; they were more friends than princess/attendant. And she was shooting daggers directly at Prince Finn.

“And what kind of husband would you be?” Clarke inquired. “I want to hear your ideas on how to better Arkadia. I have thoughts as well. Would those be heard?”

Prince Finn laughed. “You… you are very funny. Isn’t she funny?” he asked the men behind her to which they responded with forced laughter. 

Clarke did not laugh. “I’d appreciate an answer.”

“Clarke,” her mother said, low and warning.

Prince Finn cleared his throat. “Well, yes, obviously I would make Arkadia better. And thoughts… you have them? Well, that is sweet, isn’t it?” he placated and Clarke’s feet took an involuntary step forward. If her mother didn’t throw him out, she would.

“Thank you for honoring us with your presence, Prince Finn. We will see you at the ball in two days’ time, correct?” her mother asked.

“Well of course! I would be honored to attend and whisk the Princess around the floor.”

Clarke scoffed and turned on her heels, stalking away. She didn’t need to hear this anymore. 

Raven followed, and the door to her chambers were barely closed before she started venting. Her dog, Picasso, ran up immediately to greet her.

“Can you believe him? And _my mother_? How dare she entertain an idiot like that?” Clarke mused exasperatedly. 

“Well, to be fair, you’ve thrown out every single other suitor. It’s getting pretty slim pickins, Clarke,” Raven pointed out.

Clarke shot her a look. “Please, you hate him too.” She sat down on one of the chaises and Picasso came up to her, nuzzling his nose under her hand to get her to pet him.

“I do, I really do,” Raven agreed wholeheartedly. “I want to punch him in his - ” she started, but stopped herself. “There’s just something about him. But, you will have to pick eventually. ”

“I know,” she responded, adding her second hand to Picasso’s neck and tilting her face down to his.

“They can’t all be tall and dark and thieves,” Raven told her sarcastically, daring Clarke to argue. Clarke stood back up to face her.

“That’s not - ”

“Please, Clarke, he was the first thing you told me about your time beyond the wall. And you haven’t stopped talking about him.”

“Because I’m pissed! He stole my watch!” 

“I thought he got the watch _back_ for you?”

“But then he - ”

“ - lost it? Forgot it back at his home? There are a ton of reasons why he didn’t have it when you asked for it, Clarke.”

“Well we’ll never know now, will we? And I’m confused. Are you trying to talk me into the Prince or the thief?”

Raven pursed her lips. “I don’t think I actually know.” She wrinkled her nose. “Sorry.”

Clarke sighed. The last thing she needed was to even consider the thief was anything but a scoundrel, though her entire being was telling her he wasn’t. He wasn’t an option for her. He would never be an option for her, even if a not insignificant part irrationally wished he were. “I need to go talk to my mother.”

\-----------------------------

“We are not doing that, Pike,” her mother was saying as Clarke rounded the corner. Clarke stopped where she was and listened in a moment. She'd never liked her parents’ advisor. He was slimy and aggressive. Always wanting war over peace.

“My queen, you must understand. If Polis gets wind of how difficult the Princess is being, they will seize the opportunity and invade Arkadia. We _must_ strike first.”

“They will not. They are blood. Jacob’s blood. Your _King’s_ blood. They will not attack us,” her mother insisted. Pike was at this _again_? Why did he want them to start a war with Polis so badly? Their ally? Her father’s home country?

“Whatever bond was forged between the two kingdoms died when he did.”

Clarke emerged from her spot. “You are out of your place, Pike. I believe your Queen has ordered you to stand down from any talk regarding a conflict with Polis.”

Pike’s gaze shifted to her and she saw the evil in it, the sneer on his lips. “With all due respect, Princess, this is no matter to discuss with someone of your station. You’d be wise to mind your place.”

“That’s enough, Pike. My daughter is correct. I don’t want to hear another word on invading Polis, do you understand?” her mother said, standing. Queen Abigail may be living with a broken heart, but she loved her daughter and Clarke knew that she was not one to be trifled with.

“But - ”

“My mother asked you a question, Pike. You’d do well to remember _your_ place. Or you might get to see just how _difficult_ I can be,” Clarke spit towards him. He stalked off then, leaving her and her mother alone. “I don’t know why you keep him around, Mother.”

Her mother sighed, sounding exhausted. “Pike has been here since your father and I’s early days as rulers. It would take too much time and energy to bring someone new in,” she told Clarke. “Besides, his methods may be… disagreeable, but he loves Arkadia and just wants what’s best for it.”

“Or he just wants what’s best for _him_ ,” Clarke mumbled. Her mother didn’t seem to hear her.

“Did you need something dear?”

“Uh, yes. I want to talk to you again about this Prince business…”

Abigail sighed again. “I know Prince Finn wouldn’t be your _first_ choice - ”

“ - or _any_ number choice. Mother, you can’t seriously be considering letting him be in charge of Arkadia?” Her mother stayed silent. “Let me do it. I have watched you for _years_ and train for the rest. I know what I’m doing. I don’t need a Prince. It’s a stupid law anyway.”

“I agree, Clarke, but laws are not easily changed. This is the way it’s always been. And it worked out okay when I married your father, didn’t it?” Now it was Clarke’s turn to remain silent. “You need to pick one, Clarke. The future of Arkadia rides on your choice.”

“The fut - Mother! The citizens in Arkadia are _dying_ in the streets! They’re hungry and don’t have half of what they need to thrive!”

Abigail scoffed. “Pike assures me that the city is as it always was. How would you presume to know any different?”

Oh shit.

“Uh, I overheard some guards talking. Mother, I think it’s getting really bad. Arkadia doesn't need a prince to rule it, it needs a princess to love it. And my entire heart and soul is for my people.”

“You don’t want to be Queen alone, Clarke, trust me. It’s not something you would want. Leadership - it’s a lonely pursuit, you need someone to help keep you grounded. My answer is no, I’m sorry.”

Clarke grunted in frustration and stormed away. 

_Why won’t she listen?_

Every day there seemed to be someone new trying to silence her voice, her views, her opinions. They underestimated her.

Well, Clarke won’t go speechless.

***

Bellamy spent most of his day plotting how to get into the Palace unnoticed, and even though Octavia had started out making fun of him, eventually she pitched in ideas. They put together their knowledge of the palace and the guards, which wasn’t much, since commoners were rarely allowed inside. And this time of year was particularly tricky since the annual ball was in a couple days and there would be royals from all over in attendance.

“That’s it!” Octavia shouted suddenly.

“Geez, O, are you _trying_ to make me go deaf?” he said, rubbing his ear with his finger.

“Whatever. I have an idea!” O stood and paced. She was never really one to stay still for long. “The ball! There are delivery carts going in and out all day. I’ve gotten half of the goods I’ve traded over the past few weeks from stuff that has dropped off them.”

“Dropped?” Bellamy asked suspiciously.

“Well, you know. Anyway. I’ve got a friend - Luna. She delivers the linens they use. I’ll check and see if she’s got a cart headed in today. It’ll get you past the gates, but then you’ll have to improvise,” she frowned, as that was the most risky part of this half-baked plan of theirs, but it was also one they couldn’t really help. No one they knew had really been on the inside and knew the layout. Even the delivery carts stopped just inside. But still, improvising was his strong suit.

“Right. I can do that,” he said confidently. He narrowed his eyes at her. “How’d you meet Luna anyway?”

Octavia busied herself with something across the room, avoiding his eyes. She shrugged. “Oh you know. Around. She’s friends with, uh, Lincoln.”

Bellamy rolled his eyes. Lincoln was the guy Octavia definitely did _not_ have feelings for - a shopkeeper on the East side near the docks. That would make sense since Luna’s deliveries most likely came from the ships, which was why he’d asked. Lincoln was much older than O, but despite his best efforts, he’d had his suspicions that Lincoln felt the same way O did.

“Octavia - ”

“We’re not doing this, big brother,” she shut him down. Bellamy recognized that tone. He sighed and shook his head, letting her have her privacy. He didn’t really want to know anyway.

They ate dinner in peace, going back to joking around and talking about the different things they’d managed to ‘find’ lately. Later, they were laying in their respective beds across the space and he pulled out the watch, running his thumb over its face. It really was one of the nicest things he’d ever held and he didn’t even have the smallest inclination of keeping it. It was _hers_ , whoever she really was. And in the dark he finally let himself dwell a little on the way his heart skipped a few beats when he thought of blue eyes, a disappearing blonde curl, and the smile that could light up an already bright room.

“I hope she’s worth it,” O whispered from the other side of the room.

“She is.”

\-----------------------------

The ruse worked perfectly. Luna was able to smuggle him in on her cart and once he was inside the gates, he grabbed a vest and tray that had been put down and pretended to be one of the palace’s many attendants. He stayed out of sight, always taking the hall with the least amount of people. He wasn’t sure how many people worked for the royal family, but surely they would notice that he was out of place eventually.

“Okay, Princess Clarke’s chambers, where is it,” he mumbled to himself, trying to get his bearings. He hoped an attendant of the Princess would be in the royal’s chambers. The watch was heavy in his pocket, and every once in a while he’d reach down to double check it was still there. She wouldn’t let him off the hook a second time if he lost it. 

Assuming she let him off the hook the _first_ time.

She’d said she was an attendant to the Princess, so he was going with that assumption, even if she’d lied about her name. There was something off about that story too though that he couldn’t put his finger on, but he was just going to roll with it for now.

“Princess Clarke requested this tea. Please have it delivered to her immediately,” a man was ordering another server around the corner. 

“Sir, I can’t, the Queen called for - ”

“I’ll do it,” Bellam said, stepping into view and striding up to the two men. “I, uh, just finished doing… s - something. Anyway. I’ll see that the Princess gets her tea.”

He wasn’t sure it was going to work for a minute, sure he was about to get thrown out until finally the man handed over the pot and cups. Bellamy balanced it expertly and turned in the direction the man had indicated. 

He wandered down the abandoned hallway, and paused at each door, trying to figure out which would be the Princess’s. When he got to the end, the last door had an elaborate mural covering the entirety of the giant double doors. He remembered what she’d said at his home about painting the city, but he hadn’t imagined she’d have talent like this. 

It was beautiful. Swirling visions of the night sky, the moon large and bright. He stared at this exact sky every night from his home and it stirred something in his chest that she’d been staring at the same sight. A connection that he hadn’t expected to share with someone who had lived a life so opposite of his. 

He startled out of his reverie and knocked lightly on the door. 

His breath knocked out of his lungs when she answered. Her eyes were just as beautiful as he remembered and he was a little surprised his mind had recalled them with such clarity. Her blonde hair that he’d gotten barely a glimpse of the day before was on full display, the long locks falling over her shoulders in waves. She was smiling, like she’d just been laughing at something, her dress still swaying slightly with the motion of opening the door so quickly. Bellamy swallowed heavily.

“You!” she exclaimed, her smile instantly fading and turning to rage. “What the hell are you doing here? How did you even get in?”

“Let’s just say I have my ways,” he said, trying to joke but falling flat.

She folded her arms across her chest. “Well however you did, you need to go, now. And maybe try not to steal anything on the way out. I’m disappointed in you, I thought the watch would’ve lasted you longer.” She tried to shut the door in his face, but he put a foot out to stop her. 

“Please, just… let me explain, okay? I have the Princess’s tea?”

Her eyes widened fractionally for just a second, and it _almost_ looked like panic, but he couldn’t fathom why.

“Hey, what’s taking so long?” another voice sounded and notRaven glanced quickly behind her and back to him, the panic taking hold of her for longer that time. “Oh, great, the tea. You can put it over here.”

The woman gestured to a small side table in the sitting area. He glanced back to the woman he’d come to see - he was really going to have to get her real name at some point - and slid cautiously past her when she didn’t stop him. 

“You can go now,” the other woman told him irritatedly once he’d set the tray down. 

“Uh, right. Okay, well…” he looked around and looked eyes with the blonde, still trying to figure out how to return the watch without tipping off the other woman when she suddenly unfroze and sprang over to them.

“This is Princess Clarke,” she blurted out, wincing at her own outburst.

Bellamy’s eyes widened and he looked back over to the brunette, who was standing a few feet from him with a confused expression on her face.

“Why are you being weird? And what?” she asked the blonde.

“Yep, you, Princess Clarke, are the… princess. And this is - ”

“Bellamy,” he finished for her, realizing he’d never given her his name.

“Right. Bellamy. I met him while in the city yesterday.”

Princess Clarke - though something was off, he didn’t believe that she was the princess any more than he believed the blonde’s name was Raven - got a surprised look on her face. 

“Th - this is him? The boy that - ”

“Yes, _Princess_ , that one.”

“Huh,” she said and cocked an eyebrow at him, apprising Bellamy. He suddenly felt very uncomfortable and had no idea what was going on. She talked with the princess about meeting him in the city? He was surprised he wasn’t being arrested on the spot.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Princess,” Bellamy bowed, a little awkwardly, since he wasn’t exactly used to being in the presence of royalty.

“Yes, it would be a pleasure to - meet the Princess, right,” she said, amusedly. “Well, I’m going to just take my cup of tea - that I, the Princess, ordered and um, go - away.”

She gave the blonde next to him a look and a smile - and what was it she’d told her about him, exactly? - and disappeared through a door in the back leaving the two of them alone.

“So that was the Princess?” he asked suspiciously, still not quite believing it. Something tugged at his memory, something he learned as a child about the Princess and you’d know her by her… but that was where his recollection failed. 

“Uh, yeah, and you’re Bellamy, I guess? Blake, if I’m remembering correctly from the market? Or was that a lie?” she asked, malice in her tone. 

Right, the watch.

“Do you think that was a lie?” he asked, turning to face her, letting her look and tell for herself. 

“No.” She blinked and looked away. “Why are you here, Bellamy?”

“I came to return this,” he told her quietly, holding up the watch. Her head snapped back to him and her eyes softened at it. 

She gasped. “My father’s watch,” she said adoringly. She held a hand out. “You brought it back. I thought - I thought it’d be long gone by now. That I’d never see it again.”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t - I really thought it was in my pocket,” he decided to tell her. It wasn’t the whole truth, but his need to protect his sister was still prevalent. 

The woman nodded. “Okay. Thank you for bringing it back to me. I still can’t believe you broke into the _palace_ ,” she said, chuckling a little and the sound flipped his stomach. 

“You, uh, want to go for a walk, maybe?”

She smiled at him then and shook her head. “You are unbelievable. You aren’t afraid that you’ll be caught? Lose everything?”

He shrugged. “When you don’t own anything, you have to act like you own everything.”

“So that’s where your confidence comes from…” she smirked at him. “I guess I could - ” she began but they were interrupted by a knock at the door. 

“Princess! We’ve had word of an intruder in the palace!” 

The two of them exchanged a look and he glanced in the direction of the door the Princess had disappeared into.

“Shit!” she whispered and rushed to him, wrapping a hand around his arm. “You have to hide. Over there, behind the curtains on the balcony.”

“I need to just go. They aren’t going to just leave you or the Princess alone if there’s an intruder.”

She huffed, annoyed. “But how will you get out?”

“I, uh, I’ll figure it out.” The guard pounded harder on the door, yelling again. “Just go, get the door, I’ve got this.”

She gripped his arm a little tighter, stepped a little closer. She reached up on her toes, and kissed his cheek. “Thank you, for the watch. Will I see you again?”

He was seeing stars, his cheek warm. “Yeah,” he said, his voice unsteady. “I’ll come back tomorrow night.”

She searched his eyes for something. “Okay.”

_Pound, pound._

“Go, I’ll be fine,” he assured her. She nodded and turned her back to him, and he tried to memorize the way she moved, the way her lips felt on his skin, her hand on his arm before he reluctantly tore his eyes away and darted toward the balcony, expertly scaling it down to the grass below. 

He was _almost_ home free, _almost_ out of there, when a strong hand clapped him on the shoulder, wrenching him backwards and putting a bag over his head.

***

“So _that_ was the man you met in the city? Clarke… whoa,” Raven commented the next morning during breakfast.

“I know. I’m so screwed,” Clarke commented, clenching her eyes shut and touching a hand to the watch at her wrist. “It was so much easier to let him go knowing he was a thief.”

“But now that he risked everything to get it back to you… I told you it was a misunderstanding!” Raven said smugly, smacking her shoulder lightly.

“Yes, yes. You were right.”

“What’re you going to do?”

“I have no idea.” Clarke groaned and flopped down on the bed. “I still have to marry a prince. But I asked him to come back and I - ”

“You asked him to come back?!”

“I was flustered! And he was _right there_ asking me to go on a walk with him and I was not in complete control of my faculties,” Clarke insisted and it wasn’t completely untrue - it would at least explain that stupid kiss she’d given him.

“Apparently,” Raven smirked. 

“Shut up,” she mumbled. “He’s just, _exciting_ , and he’s not afraid of anything. And there’s something about him - he’s warm and kind and - ”

“Unbelievably gorgeous?”

Clarke groaned again. 

She really needed to stop spending all her time thinking about Bellamy Blake.

***

The bag was torn off Bellamy’s head unceremoniously. He was in the back of a cart, who knew where, with his hands tied behind his back in the presence of a man he’d never seen before.

He’d been in worse scrapes.

“I am Charles Pike, the Queen’s advisor.”

Okay, maybe not.

He stared at the man with hard eyes. “What do you want from me?”

“I see you’ve met the Princess.”

Bellamy couldn't help the confused cloud that covered his expression. “What? I mean, briefly. I mostly interacted with her - ” he started before he realized he probably shouldn’t give too much information.

“Attendant? Is that what you were going to say? The blonde?”

Bellamy made sure his look was impassive. He refused to give up anything about her. 

Pike laughed. Full on, belly laughter. “Wow, you really are pure of heart. Believing anything that woman tells you.”

Bellamy gritted his teeth. _Keep your mouth shut,_ he tried reminding himself.

“The blonde? That was the Princess, dumbass.”

Bellamy’s mouth dropped open in surprise. He started getting dizzy. “Wh - what? No, the brunette, with the ponytail? That was - ”

“Raven. Princess Clarke’s personal attendant.”

His head was spinning.

_“You see that blonde girl over there, Bellamy? That’s Princess Clarke and her parents, King Jacob and Queen Abigail,” his mother told him. The little girl in front of him had a smile he couldn’t stop staring at and a blonde braid that went all the way down her back. He was only six, and had many other things to think about in life, but suddenly the only thought in his head was how pretty she was._

_“That’s the Princess, Mom?”_

_“That’s her. You’ll always know it’s the Princess by her blonde hair.”_

_“I want to go say hi!” he insisted suddenly and darted over to where they were standing, despite his mother’s calls to stay back. Her parents were busy talking to a shopkeeper. Before he could get too close though, a guard stepped in his way._

_“Get away from here, street rat,” he sneered and Bellamy stared hard back up at him._

_“What’s going on here?” a pretty yet bossy voice asked. “Let him pass,” she insisted. And that was when they connected eyes for the first time. Her blues to his browns. Completely opposite, but still, there was something in them he couldn’t stop staring at. “Did you not hear me?” the small Princess demanded. “Let. Him. Pass.”_

_Bellamy saw the King look over to what was going on and nod at the guard, who scoffed but stepped aside. Bellamy inched forward until they were only a foot apart. Clarke gave him the biggest smile, making his own creep up on his face._

_“Hi,” she laughed, bubbly and happy. It was infectious and he couldn’t help but laugh along with her._

_“Hi,” he said shyly. “I just - I had to meet you. You’re really pretty.”_

_“Thanks,” she said confidently, like she got told that all the time. “I’m glad you came over. What’s your name?”_

_“Um, Bellamy.”_

_“Clarke! We have to go, sweetheart,” the King told his daughter softly, coming to stand next to her. Something on his wrist reflected off the sun and Bellamy noticed only peripherally, his eyes still focused on her._

_“Okay, Father,” Clarke said, rolling her eyes. “I have to go.” She bit her lip. “But… will I see you again?”_

_“I hope so.”_

The memory came out of nowhere, like a dream he’d forgotten the moment he woke up until something triggered it. 

Except, that was no dream.

He was sure of it. 

The blonde he’d spent the last two days thinking about nonstop was Princess Clarke. 

Not her personal attendant, not Raven, but _Clarke_.

The girl he’d met and been captivated by even as a child.

_You’ll know her by her blonde hair._

It all clicked. The escaped curl she was so panicked about tucking back in the scarf, the blue eyes that tugged at something in his heart.

“There you go, now you’ve got it,” Pike mocked and he’d almost forgotten the man was even there.

Or that he’d been kidnapped.

Shit.

Octavia was going to be livid.

“You do know that she has to marry a prince, right? She’d never be with a street rat like you,” he chuckled, like it was the funniest thing in the world to him.

Bellamy’s heart sank. Because Pike was right. The Princess had to marry a Prince. That was what the endless parades through the city every time another one came to meet with the royal family were about. It was one thing when he thought she was the Princess’s attendant but now…

“What do you want from me?”

“You see, I was once like you. Barely scraping by, not sure where my next meal would come from. But eventually, I worked my way up. And now I am advisor to the royal family. You know what that means?”

“No. But I’m sure you’re dying to tell me.”

“It means I have the Queen’s ear. After the unfortunate, _accidental_ passing of the King - " Pike told him with fake sympathy, a tone which indicated the King's passing might not have been an accident at all. " - the Queen listens to me. And if a suitor was _worthy_ enough, _rich_ enough… I might be able to convince her to overlook the fact that he isn’t a Prince.”

“I’m done with your games, Pike. What does this have to do with me? Because I am definitely not rich and… ” he swallowed hard. “I’m definitely not _worthy_ enough of her.”

“Oh, but you could be,” Pike stepped out of the cart and beckoned Bellamy to follow. His boots landed on dirt but it took a minute to see as he had to squint in the brightness of the daylight. It was morning, the sun streaming through the trees of the forest. “Over there beyond that ridge is a cave. The Cave of Wonders.”

“That’s a myth. Not real. Magic doesn’t exist.”

“Oh but it is. To all who would be worthy. You want to know if you are indeed worthy of the Princess? There is your test. If it allows you entrance, there are riches beyond your wildest dreams awaiting you inside.”

Bellamy narrowed his eyes at the man. That sounded too good to be true.

“What’s the catch? Why are you helping me?”

Pike smiled conspiratorially. “There’s something inside I seek. You can have everything else. As long as you bring me the oil lamp.”

“An oil lamp?” Bellamy asked. “What’s so special about an oil lamp?”

Pike got an angry look on his face. “What does it matter? It’s either you do this for me, or to the dungeons you go. Along with your sister.” Bellamy’s eyes widened. “Yes, I know about her. I have eyes everywhere, Bellamy Blake.”

He considered Pike for the moment. If he was telling the truth, he might actually have a shot with Clarke. It’s not like he had much to lose. And it’d protect his sister. “Well, I guess I don’t have a choice, do I?”

Pike grinned, “No, you really don’t.”

\-----------------------------

“You should've never followed me in here, O! Now you’re going to die in here with me.”

He should’ve known Pike would betray him.

He should’ve known Octavia would get worried when he didn’t come home and follow them from the palace, watching when he went into the Cave.

He should’ve known she’d run in at the last minute to join him for whatever doom awaited them inside.

He really was an idiot.

“Well I wasn’t going to let you do whatever the hell that jackass was having you do alone!” Octavia scoffed. “It’s you and me, side by the side. The way it was meant to be.”

He softened. “Yeah. Just - now we’re trapped. We are finally surrounded by a bunch of treasure and we’re going to die in it.”

Once they’d gotten inside, everything seemed to be going okay, though they had to search most of the day before finding the lamp. He realized that he was going to let Clarke down - there was no way he was making it back to the palace in time for him to return to her that evening like he’d promised. He hated that he would disappoint her again, but hopefully with all this gold giving him an actual shot with her, she’d understand.

There were mountains upon mountains of gold and jewels and statues, enough to set him and O up, hell, even every single descendant of theirs, for the rest of time. He’d been stern with her, told her _not_ to touch anything until they found the oil lamp. Once they had that and got it to Pike, they could have whatever they wanted.

But she just couldn’t help herself, and really, he couldn’t blame her. She’d grabbed at the giant ruby without thinking and the entire cave had, well, caved in. Even with the assistance of the magic carpet they’d found - which he hadn’t even _started_ to wrap his mind around yet - they didn’t make it out in time. 

“There’s got to be another path out _somewhere_ , Bell.”

The magic carpet shook its - well, it didn’t have a head, exactly, but either way, it indicated that there wasn’t another path out. But then it did something weird with it’s tassels that Bellamy couldn't decipher.

O groaned. “I’m sorry, Bellamy. I really was just trying to help.”

Bellamy sighed. “I know, it’s okay. We’re going to figure something out.”

“What did Pike want with the lamp anyway?” she asked, nodding to where it sat next to him on the rock. 

He picked it up and turned it over, inspecting it. “I have no idea. Compared to everything else in here, it’s so _dirty_. I mean, it’s gold, but it can’t be worth very much in this shape,” he apprised. He blew and rubbed at the dust with his hand. “Maybe it’s - ” he started suggesting, but stopped short and froze as blue smoke started emerging from the tip of the lamp. “What the hell?”

“Whoa!” O said, eyes wide and she took a few steps back as the smoke got larger and larger and started spinning around like a tornado. “What’s happening?!” she shouted over the wind.

“I don’t know!” he said, but whatever it was, it was coming and they just had to wait.

Finally, the blue tornado stopped and formed into a man. Well, not a man, per say, but something half man half… smoke.

The smokeman stretched his arms and yawned loudly, almost reaching to the top of the cave he was so large.

“Oh Great One who summons me, who commands me, I am loyal to wishes three…” he boomed, but then started to look around confused. “Um, hello? Anyone there?” He looked down at Bellamy and Octavia, who were frozen where they stood. “Where’s your boss man? The big kahuna?”

Bellamy exchanged a look with O. _What?_

“You know, the master. The guy who rubbed the lamp?” the smokeman asked, annoyed now. Bellamy felt like he _should_ be frightened, but as confused as he was, he was more curious than scared.

“Uh,” Bellamy began, clearing his throat. “That’d be me.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay! I hope you enjoyed that! 
> 
> Thank you for reading!
> 
> Hopefully I'll get Part 3 up Friday. ❤
> 
> If you want to come hang out with me on tumblr, you can find it [here](https://dayo488.tumblr.com/)!


	3. Part 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey all! Hope you had a great week! 
> 
> Thanks for reading and I hope it's fun for you!
> 
> ❤

“You?” 

Bellamy stuttered. “Yeah, me. I rubbed the lamp. It was dusty and - I don’t know. Who are _you_?”

“Seriously?” the smokeman asked incredulously. “You really have no idea who I am?”

Bellamy exchanged another look with Octavia, who shrugged.

“Wow wow wow… okay. I’m going to try to not to be offended by that.” He floated around, tapping his chin before somehow shrinking down to their level and getting much closer than Bellamy was comfortable with, seemingly inspecting him. “You don’t _look_ stupid,” he mused, then glanced over to Octavia and the carpet. “What do you think Carpet? Is he stupid?”

Bellamy snuck a glance at the Carpet, who shrugged. “Okay, okay. I’m not - _stupid_ , just are you going to tell me who you are or not?” 

“They call me Murphy, the Great and Powerful Genie!” 

“Genie?” Octavia asked.

Murphy deflated. “Yes, genie. Am I going to have to explain every little - okay, just, you two. Sit - there.” He waved his fingers and it was like Bellamy wasn’t in charge of his body anymore. Suddenly there were chairs - no, _thrones_ \- underneath the two of them. 

This had to be a dream.

Murphy cracked his knuckles. “Okay. Now, you’re really the one that rubbed the lamp? There’s no head honcho somewhere? You know the type - ” Murphy grew large again and from nowhere there was suddenly thunder and lightning, causing the two of them to cower. “ - big and powerful and must have all the money and gold!” he boomed before shrinking back down and using a normal voice again. “ - that guy.”

“ _That_ guy is the greedy asshole who kidnapped my brother and left us to die in here,” Octavia spat.

Murphy glanced around. “So, it’s really just us? Huh. Okay, well, I guess that makes _you_ my Master,” he concluded, pointing at Bellamy. He grew large again and repeated what he said when he first came out of the lamp. “Oh Great One who summons me, who commands me, I am loyal to wishes - ”

“Wait, wait, wait, ‘Master’?” Bellamy interrupted.

Murphy sighed exasperatedly. “Am I seriously going to have to repeat everything I say? Yes. You - ” he pointed Bellamy. “Master. Me - ” he pointed at his own chest. “Genie. You rubbed the lamp, you get the wishes. Three of them. No more. Don’t even try it.” 

“Wishes?”

“Okay, let me show you something.” He wiggled his fingers and set Octavia alight. Bellamy was about to demand he put her down, but something told him he didn’t actually mean any harm and O was actually _laughing_. Murphy spun her around, changing her into different outfits, conjuring elephants, horses, gorillas to sit on. 

“Do you see me Bell?!” she shouted with glee.

He chuckled nervously. “Yeah, I see you, O.”

“See, you’ve got power in your corner, now,” Murphy was saying. “A brand of magic that never fails.” He twisted his finger around and Octavia landed next to him again and he reached over, gripping her hand. 

“You okay?”

“Are you kidding? That was amazing!”

“You ain’t never had a friend like me,” Murphy said with a smirk. “All you gotta do is rub that lamp, and I’ll say, ‘Mister, uh?”

“B - Bellamy?”

“Is that a question or - nevermind. I’ll say, ‘Mister B - Bellamy, what can I do for you?’ and I’ll take your wish, jot it down, and well, like I said, you ain’t never had a friend like me,” he explained and he pointed to various items transforming the whole room around them. 

It was incredible - he’d never seen magic before.

“Uh,” Bellamy stammered, completely speechless.

“Okay, I see you’re _somehow_ still confused - ”

“I’m just having a little trouble keeping up and believing that I’m not dreaming,” he told Murphy.

“You’re not. Okay. Step one. Rub the damn lamp. Step two. Say anything beginning with _I wish_. Can’t be bringing anyone back from the dead. And I can’t make anyone fall in love with you.”

Octavia gave him a smirk and he shot a look at her.

“And like I said before, you can’t wish for more wishes. You get three. That’s it. Then I make your wildest dreams come true and Bob’s your uncle,” Murphy finished explaining.

“Right. Okay.”

“So what’ll it be?”

Bellamy really had no idea. 

In the long list of things that he thought might happen to him in his life, _this_ was definitely not one of them.

“I don’t know. You really can do anything?”

“Except for - ” Murphy sighed. “Yes, basically.”

“Can you get us out of here?” Octavia asked. 

_Oh. That’s a good idea._

“Can I - of course I can. What kind of - is that an official wish?” Murphy asked, rubbing his hands together.

“No, just a request,” she answered slyly. 

“If you expect us to believe you and that we aren’t dreaming, then prove it,” Bellamy challenged.

“Okay, you know what? It’s been like a thousand years I’ve been stuck in that thing and lucky for you two, I’m feeling generous. Just - ” he cracked his neck. “Okay, that’s better. Here we - goooooo!”

Suddenly Bellamy’s vision was filled with blue smoke and they were airborne. He was so grateful he’d been holding onto O’s hand. He couldn't see her, but her hand was still firmly in his, squeezing back with equal strength. 

After a couple of minutes, they landed with a thump in the dirt of the forest that he’d been in before the cave. Once he saw that Octavia was okay too, he let go and grabbed at his head and groaned.

“Ugh, ow.”

“Don’t worry, you’ll get used to it.”

Bellamy scrambled to his feet, having almost forgotten about the fact that a real live genie offering to give him three wishes of his choice had just magicked them out of a cave. 

His life was getting crazier by the second.

“You okay, O?”

“Yep, just give me a second. The ground is spinning a little.”

He helped her up and looked around, seeing the magic carpet had also been transported out of the cave with them. “Wow. It really worked. We’re really out of there,” he marveled.

“Told ya. So about those wishes?”

Bellamy’s mind was spinning with the possibilities. 

“What would you wish for?” he asked Murphy and for the first time, the genie looked like he’d been caught off guard.

“I don’t - no one has ever asked me that before,” he told them, looking off into the trees. He thought for a few minutes before answering. “I think - I’d wish to be free. To be human, have the chance to really _live_. Fall in love, the whole nine.”

“Is that even possible?” Octavia asked softly. “I mean, can genies ever be free?”

Murphy snapped out of his reverie. “Sure. If a Master wishes him free, he can.” He shrugged. “But that doesn’t really happen. Once the reality of what you can have sets in… well, a genie’s freedom ranks pretty low on the priority list.”

“Well, I’ll do it,” Bellamy said assertively. Of course he’d do it. He’d never needed wishes before, and now he’s got three of them. Why wouldn’t he give one to Murphy? “I’ll wish you free with my third wish.”

Murphy snorted. “Sure. We’ll see about that.”

They spent the next few moments in the quiet forest as Bellamy thought about what he wanted to wish for.

Until - 

“Okay, I think I’ve got something.”

Murphy lit up again. “Great. Okay. Whatcha got for me?”

“Well,” he glanced at O, who had an eyebrow raised, just as curious as Murphy was. He knew he’d get made fun of mercilessly for what he was about to ask, but oh well. This was the only way. He rubbed the back of his neck. “There’s this girl…”

“Ah. There always is…” Murphy said knowingly, while Octavia tried to stifle a chuckle in the background. “But I can’t make anyone fall in love with you, remember?”

“Yeah, no, we - we had this connection.”

“Uh, huh,” Murphy said, eyes narrowed. “Did they?” he asked O. She shrugged. “Okay, okay. What about her?”

“Well, she’s a Princess,” Bellamy told him, not being able to hide the smile creeping on his face when he thought of Clarke. Octavia however, was full on laughing.

“Wait, wait, I thought you said she was an _attendant_ to the Princess.”

“Yeah, about that, she’s actually _the_ Princess.”

“Wow, Bell, just wow. Leave it to you,” she laughed, shaking her head with mirth.

“Yeah, yeah, anyway.” He gulped. “She kind of, technically, has to marry a Prince. Which is, not me. Can you - I can’t believe I’m actually asking this - make me a Prince?”

Murphy’s lips spread into a wide, shit-eating grin. “Now we’re talking. Alright, O, Carpet, back up. I need some room to work.”

He started waving his arms around, his fingers dancing like he was doing sign language or something and all of a sudden Bellamy was catapulted into the air. When he landed on the forest floor again, he was in some ridiculous, outlandish costume.

“Huh? What do you think?” Murphy said, nodding his head. Octavia laughed harder.

“Uh, no.”

It went on like that for at least an hour, each costume, getting more and more crazy, and Bellamy began suspecting that Murphy was doing it just to annoy him. 

Finally, after approximately the fortieth outfit, they finally came up with something that actually resembled something he might wear. If he, you know, had any money and was _actually_ a Prince.

“Okay, but won’t she recognize me?” 

Murphy scoffed. “Please. People see what they’re told to see. And besides, I’ve made it so only Octavia and I will recognize your true face. To everyone else, you’ll look a little different. If someone figures it out though, they’ll be able to see your real face.” Murphy snapped his fingers and a mirror appeared in front of Bellamy.

He looked similar to his real face, enough so that all his basic features were still there, but they were just slightly altered enough that he’d just look familiar to everyone else, but not identifiable as Bellamy Blake.

It actually made him a little sad, that he’d be courting Clarke as someone other than himself. But, if Bellamy Blake wasn’t going to be good enough, he’d just have to suck it up and hope one day he’d get to tell her the truth.

And that she wouldn’t be too angry with him for tricking her.

_I hope I don’t regret this._

“I think I’ve outdone myself, honestly,” Murphy said from the magical throne he’d conjured for himself.

“Well, nothing left but to bite the bullet big brother, you ready?”

“As I’ll ever be.”

***

“Another one?” Clarke asked when the horn sounded again, exasperated already. “We haven’t even gotten rid of the last one, Mother!”

“I don't know what to tell you, Clarke, except that you will be on your _best_ behavior this time, understand?” her mother emphasised. As she strode past Clarke, she added, “And by the way, you know if you’d just _pick one_ , they’d stop coming. Maybe at the ball tonight?”

“Not likely,” she mumbled. 

“Maybe this one will be better than the last one at least?” Raven tried, and while Clarke appreciated the effort, nothing was going to make her look forward to meeting yet another prince who just wanted her title, her kingdom, her people. Still, Raven did have a point.

“True. It couldn’t get much worse than Prince Finn,” she chuckled and Raven joined her as they were led to the balcony to overlook the prince’s entrance. 

Clarke woke up much crankier than usual and she tried to tell herself it wasn’t because she’d been stood up. She’d been looking forward to Bellamy coming back all day and when he didn’t show, she’d felt so stupid for even getting her hopes up. It was probably for the best anyway. She couldn’t fall for him - she wasn’t even _allowed_ to. She needed to just focus on the task at hand and pick a prince that she thought she’d be able to at least half stand for the rest of her life.

_How exciting._

She looked over the railing at the parade below. There were animals of all kinds and dancers and honestly it looked like a lot of fun. You’d never even know half the population was starving. She hated how deceptive it was. 

There was a man down there riling the crowd up and she thought she might have gotten a glimpse of Octavia, but that was probably just her overactive imagination. 

_Focus, Clarke!_

So she did. She focused on the prince, riding atop a horse that was larger than she’d ever seen. She couldn’t make out any of his features from her vantage point, but Clarke could tell how unbelievably uncomfortable he was on top of the animal, like it was the first time he’d ever ridden it. 

Great. Another fraud. Another prince who was pretending to be something he wasn’t, just to impress her. Or her mother. Really, she knew they were trying to impress the Queen, thinking she’d have sway over Clarke’s choices, not knowing that the denials so far _had_ been Clarke’s choice. If Queen Abigail had anything to say about it, she probably would’ve chosen someone like Prince Roan of Azgeda. It was a large country and with that bond Arkadia would’ve tripled their army and influence.

Too bad Prince Roan had been _too_ aggressive. She could tell he was a good enough man, but he definitely favored war over peace and that was a dealbreaker for her. 

They got closer and closer and she’d be lying if she wasn’t at least a little intrigued. There was something familiar about this Prince. He had kind features, even if he looked like he was about to throw up if someone didn’t get him off that ridiculously supersized horse 

An unhelpful voice in the back of her mind tried to remind her who else had kind features.

Clarke clenched her jaw and willed the thoughts to leave.

“At least he’s easy on the eyes,” Raven commented. “Let’s go downstairs and meet him.”

Clarke started to let out a groan, but cut it short when her mother turned to glare at her. 

They made it to the throne room and she stayed out of sight while her mother introduced herself and welcomed the prince to Arkadia. 

“ - Princess Clarke,” her mother finished and the doors swooped open in front of her. She kept her eyes fixed on the back of the room.

“It is an honor to meet you, Princess,” he said, and her gaze snapped to him. 

The voice - she could’ve sworn…

She really needed to get a handle on this preoccupation of hers.

“And who, may I ask, has that honor of meeting me?” she inquired and she could just make out Raven’s snicker from her place off to the side.

“It is I - uh, Prince… Blake - ly. Prince Blakely of - ” he stammered, clearly nervous. Anyone else and she’d be annoyed at his hesitation, but on him it was strangely endearing. The man who’d been engaging the onlookers during the parade stood next to him and elbowed him in the ribs. Prince Blakely grunted, but finished what he was saying. “ - of Tondc.”

Clarke furrowed her brows. “Tondc? I’ve never heard of such a place.”

“Clarke, honey, don’t be rude,” her mother said quietly.

“I just mean - nevermind.” She caught a glimpse out of the corner of her eye of Pike, who was staring down the man like he was a hardened criminal.

She flicked her gaze back to Blakely, who was fidgeting a little nervously. He started to reach an arm up to his neck, but the man next to him swatted it down. They were both a little clumsy as they described to her mother the gifts they’d brought, the usual - gold, jewels, nothing that interested Clarke. 

“Wow. He is - just _really_ striking. Such a knockout,” Raven murmured low next to her. Clarke bit her lip. Raven wasn’t exactly wrong, Blakely was incredibly handsome.

“Raven!” she said through her teeth.

Raven rolled her eyes. “Not the _prince_. His _friend_.”

Clarke bit back a chuckle. “Oh. Gotcha. Eh, if you’re into the lanky, big-eyed, self-assured, constantly annoyed at the world thing.” She wasn’t sure if she was on the money with a couple of those assessments, but she liked to think she was good at reading people pretty accurately.

_Except_ , she thought irritatedly, _a certain Arkadian thief apparently_.

“Oh, I am,” she said and Clarke had never heard Raven talk like this about anyone and it was quite amusing. 

Clarke tried to focus back. “So, what are you hoping for, now that you’re here, Prince Blakely of Tondc?”

“Hoping for? Well, you.”

She chuckled. “Ah. And you expect me to choose you based on? Your gifts?”

He cleared his throat. “Well…”

“Because I can assure you, we have _plenty_ of money. We have no need for more. What Arkadia needs is someone who actually cares about its _people_.” The man next to him whistled low and froze.

The prince’s nervous smile disappeared and he held his head up. 

There he was. 

The true Prince Blakely slipped through the facade of what he’d expected her to want or be impressed with. 

He smirked at her and for the briefest of moments it was like it was Bellamy, challenging her, looking at her with brown eyes that knew her better than he had any right to.

But this wasn’t Bellamy. Bellamy was gone and probably never coming back.

He folded his arms over his chest. “I assure you, _Princess_ , there is no one else who cares for the people of Arkadia like I do.”

She might actually have believed him.

Clarke noticed her mother out of the corner of her eye watching them closely. But she couldn’t take her eyes off of him, trying to figure him out. 

“Well,” her mother finally spoke up. “Thank you, Prince Blakely. We hope you can join us for tonight’s ball.”

Clarke rolled her eyes and dismissed herself, Raven next to her. Just as she turned the corner, she heard Prince Blakely’s reply.

“It would be my pleasure.”

\-----------------------------

Clarke didn’t _hate_ these things, necessarily. It was more just a tiring event for her that happened year after year. When she was little, she looked forward to it. Her mom would braid her hair and her dad would always make sure no matter how busy he was with entertaining the foreign officials, that he always made time to dance with his little girl.

Now, there were people clamoring for a chance to dance with her, but none of them interested her. One after the other, just looking to use her. 

“Princess Clarke, I would be honored for a dance with you.”

“Of course,” she replied dutifully, turning to see Prince Finn waiting in some ridiculous costume with his hand out. He was pleasant looking enough, she supposed, a little too pretty for her taste, but acceptable nonetheless. But his personality, his obsession with wealth and title was too off-putting. 

“I am an excellent dancer, so don’t feel bad if you find it hard to keep up, I’ll try to help guide you,” he told her condescendingly.

“Right, I’ll try my best.”

“That’s all anyone could ask for.”

He spun her around dramatically, and she matched him step for step. She’d been taking dance lessons her entire life, with not much else to do while cooped up in the palace. She had a petty moment where he stumbled slightly, having a hard time adjusting to the fact that she was clearly a better dancer than he was and she had to bite back a smile.

She caught Raven’s expression on one of the turnarounds and she was predictably smirking and shaking her head. Then as Clarke turned back to Prince Finn, he opened his mouth to say something, and, in trying to show off, he tripped over the ledge of the fountain in the middle of the space. He fell clumsily into the water. 

Clarke expected to go over the edge with him, but just before she lost her balance, she was pulled back by firm hands at her waist. She spun around to see who it was that saved her from the embarrassing display of having to climb out of the fountain in the middle of everyone. Prince Blakely’s face peered down at her, only inches from her own.

Clarke startled and took a step back. His hands instantly fell from her waist and she busied herself with smoothing out her dress. “Thank you, that would’ve been - just, thank you,” she smiled at him. He held out a hand to her. 

“Maybe you need someone who can actually dance.”

She raised an eyebrow at him. “And you think you’re that someone?”

“How about we find out?”

She took his hand and let him lead her out to the floor where the music had restarted after Prince Finn’s swan dive into their ancient fountain. Prince Blakely swung her around expertly, a steady hand at her waist and one in her hand. 

They spun around the floor and she was surprised to find that he matched her movements, both of them flowing together as they twirled around the room. It was unnerving, the connection she had with him, something she couldn’t put her finger on. 

She chanced a glance up at him to see him already staring back at her. She was momentarily distracted by his freckles, so similar to that of Bellamy’s that she had to shake her head to clear her mind of him. If she didn’t know any better, she’d think they were at the very least related.

“What?” he asked softly, clearly having caught her staring.

“Nothing. You just - remind me of someone.”

He smiled a little, but it was hesitant. “I do? Is it a good reminder?”

Clarke hesitated. _Was it?_ “It’s irrelevant,” she decided on. It was as truthful as she was willing to get with this stranger. Because Bellamy Blake _was_ irrelevant. He wasn’t someone who wanted her, clearly, since he hadn’t shown up, and he wasn’t someone she was allowed to want anyway. “Doesn’t matter.”

She flicked her eyes up to his for a moment, and was surprised to see something akin to sadness in them. But for what reason she couldn’t decipher. 

“So, Princess, are you close to making a decision?” 

She didn’t even try to force a smile. “A decision? About which stranger I am to spend the rest of my life with? About who I should trust my people with?” Clarke scoffed. “No, I am not.”

She stepped away from him and turned to find Raven so they could make their exit, and found her talking to the man who’d been with Blakely in the throne room. They were clearly flirting so she left her friend to it and left on her own. 

Halfway down the hallway, she heard her name being called and a hand at her wrist. 

“Princess, wait,” Blakely pleaded. “I’m - I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to offend you.”

“Offend me? Who cares about me? Or what it is _I_ want, right? Don’t worry about it, Prince Blakely.” She wretched her arm away from him. “Who cares about the Princess who has more knowledge of Arkadia than anyone else? Who cares about - ”

“I do! I care!” he insisted earnestly.

She shook her head. “No, you don’t. You think you do because that’s what you’re supposed to do. You’re supposed to win me over with charm and jewels so our kingdoms can merge. But you have no idea how I feel or what I want. All day, every day, I just feel - ”

“ - trapped?” he finished for her and Clarke’s heart stopped.

There was no way. There was no way because Prince Blakely wasn’t Bellamy. But the coincidences were piling on top of each other and Clarke felt her panic rising higher and higher. There was no way. She was seeing what she wanted to.

She spun around on her heels and almost ran back to her chambers.

***

“Damnit!” Bellamy said frustrated, once he’d gotten back to the guest room in the palace.

“It really wasn’t that bad,” Murphy tried and Bellamy gave him a look. “Okay, it wasn’t _great_ , but - ”

“Not great? I crashed and burned!” he groaned, sinking into one of the ridiculously ornate couches. Any single item in this room could feed him and his sister for years. “Even with your help with my dancing - ”

“Uh, actually, I didn’t really - ”

“She hates me,” he finished. Because as much as he wanted to be worthy of her, there was no point in it if she didn’t want him. Her words reverberated through his thoughts. “She called me irrelevant.”

“Eesh.”

“Well, she called Bellamy irrelevant,” he sighed. “What am I doing? This is - I’m ridiculous.” He half smiled over to Murphy. He wasn’t sure when it had happened, but Murphy had actually started becoming a friend.

“Maybe you just need another chance. Get back over there.”

“Maybe. Saw you talking to Raven though…”

Murphy turned red. “Right, well, you know, gathering intel. On Clarke.”

“Oh so all you talked about was the Princess?”

“Well…” Murphy trailed off, at a loss for words. 

“That’s it!” Bellamy stood. “I’m going to give it one more shot. I need Carpet.” At his mention, the magic carpet rose from the bed it’d been draped across. “And I need _you_ to distract Raven.”

“On it!” Murphy saluted and he darted out the door as Bellamy hopped on Carpet and they sailed away to Clarke’s balcony. 

Carpet let him off and he hid where Clarke had told him to the first time he’d been here. He heard Murphy knock at the door and fumble through asking Raven to go on a stroll with him, smiling slightly at how nervous an all-powerful genie could be.

Once Clarke was alone, he rapped on the door next to him. 

“Come in,” Clarke’s voice sounded. He steeled his own nerves and stepped out from behind the curtain. 

“Actually, I'm already in.” She spun around with wide eyes and her dog ran up to him. “Hey boy,” he said, crouching and petting him as he licked Bellamy’s hands.

“How did you get in here?”

“Uh, magic carpet?” 

“Right…” she snorted. “Well, what do you think you’re doing? Why are you here?”

“Well you just left so - ” he began.

“Actually, I’m glad you’re here. I can’t seem to find your country on any of my maps. Tondc? It’s not listed.”

Oh shit.

“Murphy, I need to show her where Tondc is,” he whispered to himself.

“What was that?” she asked.

“Oh, nothing. Um, Tondc, right. It’s, well,” he picked up a map and tried looking around. He wasn’t even sure Murphy would be able to hear him. This could be where it all fell apart.

“Having trouble yourself?” she asked sarcastically.

“No, it’s, um, just right - “ he put the map back down and pointed, hoping for the best. “ - here?”

“How did I miss that?” she muttered and upon looking closer, he saw Tondc is bright letters, a small picture of a city displayed next to it. He sighed in relief.

“Oh you know, old map, hard to read, not a great depiction of the world anyway.”

She looked offended and he could slap himself. “Maps are my only way out, my only view of the world.”

“You’ve never tried - I don’t know - sneaking out?” he teased, but immediately regretted it when she glared at him, holding him in place with her gaze, like she was searching for something. If he kept at it, she’d figure out who he was and he’d lose her. “Um, I want to show you something, if you’ll let me,” he offered, his original plan coming into play now. 

He backed up towards the balcony, knocking over a few things clumsily. “Oh shit, sorry. I - uh, I’ll just - put that there.” He righted the small statue and vase and turned back to her, with what he was sure was an embarrassed expression. He rubbed the back of his neck absently and he watched as her eyes caught the movement. She smiled in amusement and he almost knocked something else over with how lost he was in the brilliance of it.

“You were saying you wanted to show me something?” she asked, genuine curiosity leaking into her voice. 

“Right... the world.”

“The world?” she clarified skeptically.

“Yeah, you should see it. These places you’ve been staring at, painting,” he said, gesturing towards the beautiful landscapes decorating her walls.

“How?” she asked warily, the smile still playing on her lips.

“Well, we could go this way?” he suggested, waving towards the balcony. 

“And what do you suggest we do? Fly? Jump? There’s no door there, Prince Blakely,” she said obviously. But he could tell she was legitimately asking.

“Flying sounds fun,” he said, jumping up on the ledge. 

“Don’t be ridic - ” she began but he gave her a smile of his own and fell backwards off the balcony. She shrieked and ran after him. “Oh my - Blakely!”

He floated back up on the carpet and she put a hand to her chest, panting heavily when she saw he was alright. “Told you I had a magic carpet. So what do you say? Ready to see the world, Princess?” he asked, holding out a hand to her. She stared at his palm, considering. “Do you trust me?” he asked softly. 

Her eyes snapped up to his. “What did you just say?” she breathed. 

“I said, do you trust me?”

She took a deep breath. “Yes,” she smiled at him, placing her hand in his finally. It was as he remembered, small, a little cold, but fit perfectly within his own. He smiled wider than he’d ever remembered smiling and tugged her up to him, and she laughed that musical laugh of hers and held onto his shoulders for stability. 

They settled down on Carpet, his hand at her waist, keeping her by his side. “Alright, Carpet, let’s show the Princess the world.”

She laughed again as Carpet took off, gripping the hand she was still holding tightly. 

As they sailed past the wall and over the city, he leaned over to her. “What do you think?”

“It’s breathtaking… so beautiful,” she marveled.

He watched her from the side, her eyes darting around so she didn’t miss a thing. “It sure is.”

She glanced back to him and he saw a blush rise on her cheeks. 

“So, tell me Princess, when did you last let your heart decide for you?”

“What?” she chuckled.

“I mean, you’re brilliant, smarter than almost anyone I’ve ever known. You were studying maps and all the books you’ve got piled high. And you’re more concerned about your people than marriage.”

“Yes, well, I have to use my head if I’m going to be Queen of Arkadia one day.”

“Hmm. But what about your heart? When do you get to let your heart decide what you want?”

She gave him a sorrowful look. “According to my mother, I don’t get to follow my heart. I have to make the right move for the kingdom. Not myself.”

“Maybe you need a new point of view. Maybe you need to open your eyes to a whole new world, a new way of looking at things,” he told her, gesturing to the fact that they’d left the city now, floating on the treeline separating the forest from the shoreline as they soared towards the mountains in the distance. “There’s no one out here to tell you no, to tell you these places are only in your dreams, Princess.”

“A whole new world. Whole new places I never got to know.” She glanced at him. “I like that. And who would I get to share it with?” she asked. “You?”

“If you’ll have me,” he said boldly. He wasn’t even sure where it came from, if he was caught up in the moment or the woman in front of him, but he didn’t care. All he cared about was her. And helping her not feel so trapped anymore. 

She laughed and straightened on her knees a little, letting the wind whip through her hair. He kept a steady hand at her waist as Carpet ducked and turned and soared through the night sky.

They flew straight towards a waterfall, only pulling up when they got close enough to be sprayed by the mist. She shouted and held onto him, squeezing her eyes shut. He leaned over to her. “This is the best part, don’t you dare close your eyes.”

She opened them again and stared straight through him. He forgot who he was _supposed_ to be, what identity was the right one, and just let himself feel. 

Eventually, Carpet floated up to the tallest building in Arkadia, setting them down to look over at the city below. He helped her off and they sat on the ledge. 

“I don’t want to go back to what it used to be, I can’t,” she said. “This world, it’s… wondrous. Thank you, for letting me share this with you,” she told him softly, tipping her head down on his shoulder. “This is by far my favorite place though, watching my people as they go about their night.”

“You really do care about Arkadia, don’t you?”

“Of course I do, it’s my home. And they deserve a leader who cares. I wish that could be me.”

“Why can’t it?”

“Laws, traditions, take your pick. A woman cannot lead alone, I have to marry a prince, someone who will be the next leader. Not me,” she chuckled humorlessly. 

“It should be you,” he told her. Because, as desperately as he hoped he’d get to be with her, she deserved the chance to rule her kingdom as she wished, married or not. He caught sight of a wisp of her hair that had fallen in her face, so he reached out and tucked it back. She followed his movements, smiling. 

“Hmm,” she let out and turned back to the city below. “Oh hey! Is that Octavia?” she asked.

“No, Octavia probably over with Lincoln by the… docks…” he let out a sigh. She knew. How did she know? His heart stuttered. Would he lose her?

“So how many names _do_ you have? Because you weren’t lying before when you told me your name was Bellamy Blake, of that I’m su… Blakely. That’s how you got Blake, isn’t it?”

Oh.

_Oh._

She thought _Bellamy Blake_ was the disguise.

Okay, he could work with this. All was not lost yet.

“Yeah, you’re absolutely right. I, uh, didn’t expect to really run into you the other day, in the city. I like to see a place from the perspective of the people when I get there.” It was flimsy, but hopefully she’d believe it.

She narrowed her eyes at him. 

“How did I not recognize you?”

“Well, people see what they’re told to see. And you know, you thought I - Bellamy - was just a street thief, not a prince.”

“Right. Hmm.” She didn’t look like she quite believed him, but seemed to accept his answer anyway.

“We should probably head back,” he said, a pit in his stomach from his lies that he tried desperately to ignore. 

When Carpet arrived back at her balcony, he helped her off. She turned back to him. “Thank you, for a beautiful evening.”

“Until tomorrow, Princess,” he promised softly, holding her gaze. Then Carpet pushed him up and he stumbled closer to her, a breath away.

Her eyes flicked down to his lips and he surged forward, capturing her in a kiss. And it was like his whole body sighed and relaxed into it, like he’d been waiting his whole life for that moment. She smiled as they parted, and touched a delicate finger to the place his lips had just been.

“Good night,” she said quietly.

“Good night.”

He stood a moment longer, watching as she disappeared into her chambers and as soon as the door shut, he let himself fall backwards, trusting Carpet to catch him. 

“Yes!” he shouted into the wind. 

They sailed back to his room where Murphy, and surprisingly, Octavia, were already waiting for him. 

“Did you have a nice night big brother?” 

“It was the best, she’s extraordinary and stunning. She’s really smart and cares deeply.”

“And she had no idea who you really were?” Murphy asked. 

“Oh no, she figured that out, rather quickly, actually.”

“What?!” Octavia asked, bewildered. 

“Yeah, but she thought that Bellamy Blake was who I was pretending to be, and that I actually am a prince.”

“And what did you say?” Murphy asked carefully and Bellamy took offense at the tone, like the genie was already judging him.

“Well, I just went with it. Bellamy Blake doesn’t get the Princess, but Prince Blakely can.” Every word, every _syllable_ , of what he just said scratched across his vocal cords like shattered glass, but he swallowed hard, trying to shove it away and convince himself he did the right thing.

Murphy just shook his head, but Octavia looked furious. 

“You _lied_ to her?” she asked, incredulous.

“No! It was more like I just didn’t correct her.”

“Oh, Bell.”

“Wow. I really thought you were different. But you’re just like all the others,” Murphy sneered at him.

“Murphy, no. It’s fine. With my two remaining wishes I can stay a prince forever. Octavia, we never have to go hungry again. And I can really help the people of Arkadia this way. And you know, maybe I will tell her, eventually.”

“Wait, both of your wishes? What about setting Murphy free, Bell?” O called him out.

It was easily one of the worst parts of this plan. He’d promised Murphy. But he _needed_ that third wish. He was doing it for the greater good, Murphy would understand wouldn’t he?

But when he looked back at Murphy, the genie had such a sorrowful, disappointed look on his face. “No, I get it. It’s my fault. I shouldn’t have let myself get my hopes up. I’ll… be in my lamp. Let me know when you’re ready for your next wish, _Master_.” He snapped his fingers and turned back into blue smoke, swirling down towards the oil lamp.

“Murphy, no, wait!” Bellamy tried, but he was already gone.

“Look what you’ve done. I can’t believe - I can’t even look at you right now, Bellamy. This was too far. I hope you’re happy,” Octavia shot at him before grabbing the lamp and hopping on Carpet, the three of them whisking away into the night.

He was all alone now. And in that loneliness, he couldn’t shake the feeling at what horrible, awful mistake he’d just made. 

The guards were right. 

He was born worthless, he’d die worthless.

Changing who he was didn’t change the fact that he didn’t deserve her. 

When the time was right, he would tell her. No more lies. She deserved to know the truth. No matter what that meant for him.

Then a knock sounded at his door. He sighed and walked over to it, only to find yet another bag being thrown over his head. 

_Not again._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks everyone! 
> 
> Like I've said a million times, it's cheesy, but it was fun to write, so I hope you enjoyed it!
> 
> Final part should be up Tuesday-ish!   
> If you want, come hang out with me on [tumblr](https://dayo488.tumblr.com/)!
> 
> Have a good weekend!  
> ❤


	4. Part 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Final installment! 
> 
> Thanks to those who read and smiled and had fun with the cheese and fluff and the Disney-versions of our favorite characters with me!
> 
> ❤

“Pike. To what do I owe the displeasure?” Bellamy grunted.

Pike sneered at him. “You don’t fool me boy. Like I told you before, I have eyes and ears everywhere. And I know you are no prince.” He walked around Bellamy, who’d been tied to a chair in some strange room in the palace he hadn’t been in yet. “You were trapped in that cave with only one means of escape. Where is the lamp, street rat?”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Right. Of course not. But then, how else would a worthless, pathetic piece of trash like you have the means to pretend to be a Prince? Gentlemen,” he said to two men behind him. They surged forward and dragged the chair to the edge of the balcony to the ocean below. Briefly he noted that it was barely dawn. 

_Oh no._

“You have two choices. Tell me where the lamp is or I’ll find it myself once _Prince Blakely_ drowns. Either way, I get the genie. The only difference is, will you still be alive when I do?”

Bellamy glared hard at the man, refusing to give in. No telling what a man like that would do with an all-powerful genie. He knew Octavia would keep it safe. 

Pike nodded at the men and they tipped him backwards.

As he fell through the air, the last thought he had was of Clarke. Of how she’d finally let her walls down and let someone in and he’d be found dead. Or worse, they’d never find his body and she would just think he bailed again. The blonde hair and blue eyes fell with him as he hit the water with a slap and sunk down, down, down. 

“I’m sorry,” he said to the fish swimming around him with his last breath before it all went dark.

***

“Raven! He’s _incredible_ ,” Clarke gushed the next morning to Raven. “He’s romantic, and caring, and - ”

“A thief?” Raven asked, eyebrow raised and arms folded across her chest.

“No! That’s just the thing, he was only _pretending_ to be a thief, but he’s _actually_ a Prince.”

“Uh huh…” Raven pursed her lips, clearly not convinced.

How was she going to make her understand?

She’d known it was the same man all along. From the first time she heard his voice. From the moment he looked at her and told her he cared about the people of Arkadia. From the way they moved together as they danced. From the moment he’d guessed how trapped she felt. From his question.

_Do you trust me?_

She’d known all along. 

She thought she’d never get the chance to be with Bellamy - Prince _Blakely_ \- but now…

“Raven. It was better than I ever could’ve dreamed.”

“And you believe him?” she asked warily.

“Yes!” Clarke insisted. But did she? She knew they were the same man, but did she trust him that he was telling the truth about which was his _actual_ persona? “I think so.”

Raven sighed and laid down next to Clarke on her side so she could face her. Clarke turned so she mirrored her friend. “Don’t hate me for saying this, okay?” Raven took a deep breath. “Or do you think maybe you _want_ to believe him because you have to marry a prince, but you can’t marry a thief?”

“Raven, come on. No, I believe him, I - I do.”

His words came back to her. _People see what they’re told to see_. Was Raven right? Did she believe him only because it was the only way she’d get to be with him? 

“Clarke!” a woman’s voice sounded from the balcony. Clarke hurried off the bed and over to where Octavia was floating on the carpet outside. Her shirt was wet.

“Octavia? What’s going on?” she asked, worried. 

“It’s Bell. He’s - well, you just need to come with me, _now_.”

She’d called him Bell. Not Blakely, not the prince.

Clarke climbed up on the balcony. Whatever his name really was, she knew him. And she was in love with him. That much she was certain about.

And he was in trouble. 

“Whoa, wait. What are you doing?” Raven asked, a hand shooting out to stop her from getting on the carpet. “Who the hell is she?”

“That’s Bellam - Blak - that’s his sister. Please cover for me.”

Raven sighed but nodded and let her go. “Don’t make me regret this.”

Clarke smiled at her and they were off. 

They didn’t go far, just across to another section of the palace - the guest chambers.

Murphy was leaning over someone on the bed and the floor was soaking wet. Clarke rushed over and saw him lying there unmoving on the bed. 

“What the hell happened?” she asked, climbing next to him. He was the source of all the water, head to toe dripping wet. 

“Pike tried to have him drowned,” Octavia said viscerally. 

“ _What?!_ ”

“He was after _me_. Damnit, man you gotta wake up!” Murphy yelled, slapping his face. Clarke eyed the man for a moment, noticing the guilt written across his features. Why was Pike after Murphy? What the hell was going on?

Bellamy sputtered and coughed suddenly, groaning as he regained consciousness.

“Hey, it’s okay, slow down. Easy now,” she said, putting a hand down on his shoulder to stop him from sitting up.

“Cl - Clarke? What are you doing here?”

“Octavia came to get me.”

Bellamy winced. “How did I get here? I was in the ocean… Pike… Murphy, did you save me?”

Murphy nodded. “Of course I did. Cost you a wish though, sorry.”

“Whatever it cost, you saved my life, thank you.”

Murphy smiled back at him. “What are friends for?”

Clarke got off the bed and looked around. 

Wish?

Then she spotted the oil lamp on the nightstand. 

_Oh._

“Someone better start talking. Right the hell now.”

Bellamy’s eyes went wide with panic. “Clarke. Please. I can explain.”

“A magic genie. I can’t believe it. You were never a prince,” she said factually. Raven had been right.

It didn’t change her feelings for him though. Though, she couldn't say she wasn’t hurt by his lies. And while she may be in love with _him_ , she had no idea whether his feelings for her were real, or if she was the target of the century for him.

Bellamy shook his head and looked down. “No, Princess, I’m not. I’m so sorry. I - ” he started but was interrupted by shouting down below. Octavia went to investigate while they waited silently.

“They’re looking for you,” Octavia told her. 

“Right. Pike. He’ll have some sort of story cooked up for my mother. We need to get going. Murphy, dry him up?” she asked. Murphy swallowed heavily and nodded, snapping his fingers. 

Instantly Bellamy - _not_ Prince Blakely - was dry and clean and ready to go.

She led the way out of the room, the other three trailing behind her. She wiped at her eyes. She couldn’t focus on that right now. She had to get Pike locked up and out of here and away from her people.

“Princess, I - ” she heard him behind her and he reached for her wrist, which she snatched away.

“Not - not right now, okay? I just can’t.”

“Right,” he said quietly, shame evident in his tone. 

They stormed the throne room. Pike was already there with her mother, Raven, and a dozen guards. 

Pike startled at the sight of Bellamy behind her. 

“Clarke! Thank heavens you’re alright! Pike was just telling me that Prince Blakely is planning on bringing his army from Ton - d - c,” she said, confused when she also noticed Bellamy. “What? How is he here? Pike? What’s going on?” her mother demanded, turning towards Pike. 

Pike shot daggers at her. “I don't know, my Queen. Clearly he has brainwashed the Princess. Guards! Seize them! To the dungeons to await execution!”

Guards came from all corners of the room and held Murphy, Bellamy and Octavia against their will. 

“No!”

“You just couldn’t help yourself, hmm? Couldn’t just stand quietly in the corner and let the real leaders rule?”

Clarke stalked forward and slapped Pike across the cheek. “How dare you.” She could hear Bellamy grunting as he struggled against the guard holding him.

“You don’t speak to my daughter like that, you understand? You’re out of line, Pike.”

Pike rounded on her mother. “NO! I am the only one worthy of ruling this kingdom. You and your daughter are too _weak_ and _sentimental_ to take charge and do what needs to be done. We need to conquer Polis, not ally with it! The other neighboring kingdoms as well.”

The Queen tilted her head up and stepped towards him. This was the woman she remembered from her childhood. “Well then I guess it’s a good thing you aren’t in charge. And you never will be, Pike. At best, you’re a glorified sidekick.” She turned towards the three. “Let them go.” 

The guards dropped the restraints and Bellamy rushed over to her. She wrapped a hand around his arm.

“You okay?” she asked. He nodded and gave her a small smile, his hand coming up to cover hers, holding her in place next to him.

“You’re going to regret this,” Pike snarked. Suddenly the door opened and in walked Gillmer, one of the guards that Clarke couldn’t stand - and one of Pike’s lapdogs.

He had the lamp. They’d left it in the guest chambers.

“Here you go, sir.”

“Thank you. Now, is everyone ready to see what _real_ power can do?” 

“No! No you can’t!” Murphy shouted, panicked all of a sudden. Bellamy lunged for Pike but wasn’t fast enough. Pike rubbed the lamp and suddenly Murphy was swept up, spinning in a huge blue smoke tornado, growing larger and larger until he was practically hitting the ceiling. 

_Whoa._

“No,” Bellamy breathed, looking behind him to exchange a look with his sister, who was shaking her head. Murphy was staring sadly at Raven, who was looking at him with wide eyes.

“Oh Great One who summons me, who commands me, I am loyal to wishes three…” Murphy recited reluctantly. “Sorry, man,” he added, looking down at Bellamy.

“No, I’m sorry, I should have set you free a long time ago.”

“Enough! Genie! For my first wish,” Pike began, rubbing the lamp. “I wish to be King of Arkadia!”

“Your wish is my command,” Murphy bit out.

Her mother gasped as she was swept up in a swirling cloud of smoke.

“Mom! NO!”

She was set down and wore plain clothes as Pike now wore the traditional dress of royalty instead. 

“This is _much_ better,” he remarked, stalking over to the throne to sit. “More befitting, definitely.”

“You won’t get away with this, Pike,” Bellamy asserted. 

“Get away with what? I’m the King now, boy, I’d bow if I were you. You too, you spoiled brat,” he spat towards her. Bellamy looked like he was fuming; she could feel his rage rolling off him in waves. 

Maybe he did care about her for more than just her title.

“As King, I command you _bow_ ,” he insisted and shot a look to Murphy, who looked furious himself. But he snapped his fingers and everyone in that room was forced to bow. “Good. Now I want all these traitors thrown in the dungeon. Then we will assemble an army to invade Polis.”

The guards moved slowly forward, clearly a little confused at the turn of events. Clarke, her mother, Raven, Bellamy and Octavia were shoved roughly to their feet.

“Get your hands off of her!” Bellamy boomed towards Gillmer, who had taken it as his personal responsibility to see to Clarke himself. 

“Clarke!” Raven shouted. “Don’t touch me,” she snarled at her own guard. Clarke saw Murphy lurch forward towards her, stopped only when Pike raised his hand.

“It’s okay. I’ll be okay,” Clarke assured them.

“I think we’ve heard enough from you Princess. It’s time for you to start doing what you should have done all along. _Stayed silent_.” He grinned at her. “Princesses are to be seen and not heard.” He nodded to Gillmer and the guard started forcing her away.

As they walked away, Pike’s words rang in her ears.

_Princesses should be seen and not heard._

_You aren’t fit to rule the kingdom._

_Stay silent._

_Stay silent._

_**Stay silent.** _

These ancient laws, these ridiculous traditions that said a woman couldn’t rule were just that. Ancient and ridiculous. She was more fit to rule this kingdom than any prince would be. No matter how many times she’d tried, her mother had shut her down. Pike had shut her down. 

And she’d accepted that. But she wasn’t going to go without a fight. She wasn’t going to let them suffocate and stifle her voice. 

Clarke refused to stay silent. Whether she was married to a prince or not, _she_ was the rightful ruler of Arkadia. At least, after her mother. And she refused to let them tuck her into a corner and steal her voice. 

She stomped on Gillmer’s instep and he grunted and dropped one of her arms, allowing her to elbow him in the ribs, which freed her other arm. She whirled around and punched him in the nose, hearing it crack. She ignored the pain in her knuckles and turned to face Pike. 

“I will _not_ allow you to steal the kingdom my mother and father worked so hard for. I will _not_ go quietly into the night so that you can feed this absurd obsession with power. I will _not_ allow you to put Arkadia at risk so that you can conquer my father’s home country, people who have stood with us for _years_. No amount of magic can give you what is rightfully _mine_ to protect.”

Pike’s grin dropped from his face and he took a few steps forward. “I wish nothing but glory for the kingdom of Arkadia. Is that so wrong?” he asked.

“No. You seek glory for _yourself_. And you would win it off the backs of _my people_ ,” she spat towards him. Her heart was pounding and her breath was shaky, but she held firm. “Now. Will all of you follow where this broken, pitiful man leads or will you take a stand?” she asked the guards around the room, guards that were once loyal to her family. She saw Bellamy beaming at her, nodding his head in support. Octavia was smirking and Raven was smiling. Murphy looked hopeful. But the guards just looked… confused.

Then something happened. 

The guards started turning, one by one, releasing all of them and turning towards her and her mother. And slowly, they knelt and bowed their heads.

The relief was short lived however, when Pike grabbed the lamp. “Fine. If being their _King_ isn’t good enough, then maybe a _sorcerer_ will force their loyalty! Genie!” He faced Murphy.

No.

“For my second wish…”

No.

Pike rubbed the lamp. “I wish to become the most powerful sorcerer there is!”

Murphy deflated. “As you wish, Master.” He swirled his arms around and around and Pike was lifted up covered in smoke and lightning. Despite the volume of the wind around them, she could hear him laughing. When his feet touched down again, he was changed. Larger, his regalia more embellished. 

Pike smiled. “I had such big plans for this kingdom. But perhaps it would be better to simply start from scratch.”

“No!” she shouted and she looked at her mother in a heap on the floor, sobbing. She rushed over to her. Somewhere in the smoke she’d lost Bellamy, couldn’t see him or Octavia anywhere anymore. She couldn't blame them. It was even _good_ that they’d left. It would keep them out of the way of Pike’s wrath. “Mother, I will figure something out, I promise.”

“I should’ve listened to you, Clarke, I’m so sorry.”

Clarke blinked back her own tears, needing to stay strong. 

“I have no use for any of you any longer,” he sneered to the guards. “Though, maybe one day. To the dungeons.” He snapped his fingers and the guards around her, except Gillmer, disappeared. It was just the five of them now, six including Murphy, who was floating above them still. Raven joined Clarke at her mother’s side. 

“Go on, Clarke, I’ve got her,” she said gently. Clarke nodded and reached out, squeezing her arm in gratitude. Clarke stood to face Pike again, hoping that she’d be able to figure something out. 

“Now. What to do with the three of you? Dungeons? Or a swim in the ocean?”

Clarke held steady as Pike considered and out of the corner of her eye she spotted Bellamy by the throne and she’d never been more thankful than in that moment that he’d spent his whole life stealing.

Because his hand was inches away from the lamp. 

She felt her lips twitch and she tried to look away quickly to keep him from being spotted, but she wasn’t fast enough.

“Sir! The Prince!” Gillmer shouted.

Pike snapped his fingers before even turning around, magically freezing Bellamy where he stood. Pike glanced behind him and waved his hand. Bellamy floated over between him and Clarke, and he was forced to his knees. “You are no prince. You’re a worthless abomination. You should’ve stayed in the gutters of Arkadia where you belong.” He snapped his fingers again and Bellamy’s royal clothes disappeared, leaving him what he was wearing when she’d met him that first day.

“No! He is not worthless!” she tried, but Gillmer had a hold of her again.

“Yes, he is. He’s insignificant. An irritation I no longer need.” Pike raised his fingers again to snap. She caught one last glimpse of Bellamy’s eyes. 

A snap and he was gone.

“NO!”

***

The first thing Bellamy registered was how _cold_ it was. Pike had sent him who knew where, some mountain covered in ice and snow.

He was just glad Octavia had gotten away. She’d wanted to be the one going for the lamp, but he insisted it had to be him, that it was him who got them into this mess so he was going to get them out of it. 

She’d stayed hidden and if she had any sense at all, she’d run off the second Pike snapped his fingers.

But now, Clarke and the Queen and Raven were at Pike’s mercy.

“MURPHY!” he called pointlessly. Bellamy couldn’t believe he’d let it get this far. Now Pike was the most powerful sorcerer in the universe, second only to Murphy himself, and would destroy all Arkadia.

Wait.

Second.

That might be it. That _might_ be enough to one up Pike. 

Too bad he wasn’t going to live long enough to try.

He started wandering aimlessly, his teeth chattering in the frigid cold, his limbs going numb. He fell to his knees. 

“Bellamy!” he heard the voice of his sister and he was grateful his mind could conjure her up one last time, the voice of someone who knew and loved him no matter what. Now if only he could hear Clarke one last time too…

“BELLAMY!”

No, that was Octavia again. 

He looked up confused and squinted to see his sister zooming through the sky on Carpet. 

_Oh thank goodness._

\-----------------------------

“No, stop, please! You’re killing her!” Clarke was shouting. He and Octavia rounded the corner of the throne room, just outside the double doors. 

“No - ” he tried, ready to burst in, but O held him back. 

“Wait.”

“Why?”

“We have to be smart about this. If we go barreling in there, Pike will just send us back - or worse. We need an opening.”

“He’s killing the Queen!”

“Clarke will stop him,” she insisted. 

“For your weakness, my ex-Queen. For your weakness in attacking and seizing opportunities, for your weakness after the King passed, for that - for that I will take the only thing you have left. Your daughter.”

Bellamy was surprised at the strength Octavia showed in holding him back that time.

“I will marry your daughter, since you decided to let her have her own voice in her suitor. I will marry her and together we will rule the world.”

“NO!” Abigail roared, strained. “Clarke, no,” she said weakly.

“FINE!” Clarke shouted. “I will do as you wish. Stop this right now. Let. Her. Go.” 

He heard the Queen gasp with the sudden intake of air and Clarke’s relieved sob.

“O, we have to go in there, _now_ ,” he insisted, struggling against her grip. 

“Just _hold on_.”

He caught Murphy’s gaze from around the corner and the genie finally looked hopeful, nodding his head towards the lamp hanging on Pike’s belt. 

_Damnit._

“Come on,” he said, grabbing Octavia’s hand and leaving the throne room. 

“Where are we going?” she whispered.

“To stop a wedding.”

***

“Do you, Great Sorcerer Pike, take Princess Clarke Griffin to be your lawfully wedded wife?”

“I do,” Pike answered and Clarke’s stomach turned. 

“And do you, Princess Clarke Griffin of Arkadia take Great Sorcerer Pike to be your lawfully wedded husband?”

_No._

“I…”

_Never._

Clarke glanced helplessly around, catching Raven’s sad eyes, her defeated demeanor. She glanced out at the city, her beloved city, which would soon lay in ruin. 

Wait. 

_What is that?_

She glanced quickly away and back to Raven moving her eyes quickly towards where she was sure she’d seen it. Raven’s eyes changed widening in understanding and then narrowing in fury. She nodded minutely and Clarke turned her gaze back to Pike, who had an eyebrow raised waiting for her answer. Her eyes held his, however nauseous it made her and her hand slowly inched towards the lamp at his belt. Before the ceremony, Pike had sucked Murphy back in so he couldn’t even try to interfere. 

“Well, Princess?” Pike asked.

“I… do not!”

In one swift movement, Raven lurched for Pike, grabbing his arms and pinning them behind his back as Clarke wrenched the lamp from his waist and ran for the balcony. She barely saw as Pike grunted and threw Raven to the floor. 

“Go, Clarke!” Raven yelled. Pike was right behind her, but Clarke was faster. She jumped with all the faith in the world in the man she loved. 

And who she knew loved her.

Sure enough, she landed with a soft thump on Carpet, the lamp in her hand and Bellamy’s arm wrapped around her waist. Octavia was there too, smiling conspiratorially.

“Hey, Princess,” O grinned. 

“You’re here,” she said to him, as they flew away. 

“Where else would I be? It’s you and me, Princess. Together.”

“Together,” she nodded.

“Uh, guys? Not to ruin the moment, but we’ve got a problem.” Octavia pointed behind them where a giant man was stomping his way through the city, gaining on them. Looking closer, she recognized the man as Gillmer. 

“Oh shit.”

Clarke had definitely had enough of magic for one lifetime. This was getting ridiculous. 

“Hold on!” Bellamy shouted as Gillmer started overshadowing them and lunged for the carpet, missing it by a breath. All three screamed as Carpet darted in and around buildings, trying to stay one step ahead of Gillmer. He was demolishing buildings and people had to hop out of the way to accommodate the giant.

They flew through a curtain of rugs hung to dry and Carpet fumbled a little and Clarke lost hold of the lamp, it falling to the ground behind them. 

“Bellamy! The lamp!” 

“I’ve got it!” Octavia hollered and suddenly stood and in one motion, jumped to the nearest clothesline, swinging around landing on the ground with poise. 

“Octavia, no!” Bellamy shouted after his sister. 

“She’ll be fine. We’ll draw him away while she grabs the lamp.”

They flew higher, making sure Gillmer had them in his sights. He roared and thundered after them. But he tangled in the clothesline himself and stumbled and tripped to the ground. They watched as he noticed Octavia, who indeed now had the lamp and had started running, darting into some building. Before they knew it, she was up on the roof, running along the edge.

“Carpet, let’s go!” Bellamy yelled and the carpet dove straight down towards her and they came alongside her. “O, jump, I’ve got you!”

Gillmer thundered behind, just about on them. 

“Bellamy, we’ve got to go!” Clarke yelled. “Come on, O!”

“Octavia, now!” 

She jumped, landing with a thud on the carpet, but it was all for naught as she landed, Gillmer caught up to them, and Octavia fumbled, dropping the lamp right into Gillmer’s hands, who immediately turned and headed back to the palace.

“No,” Clarke breathed out.

“It’s isn’t over yet! We’ll get it back.”

***

The storm raged, no doubt a product of Pike’s new magic, exerting his influence and power over Arkadia. The three of them were drenched as the carpet struggled to fly in the wind, and eventually they were swept away, and all they could do was hold on until it stopped.

Unfortunately, it stopped when the wind sucked them straight back to the palace, dumping them on the floor at Pike’s feet, Murphy hovering above him angrily. Bellamy reached for Clarke and his sister.

“You two okay?” he asked, grasping and squeezing Clarke’s hand.

Both nodded and struggled to sit up probably having had the wind knocked out of them in the landing like him. 

“You could’ve had it all, Bellamy. I gave you a chance to have whatever riches you dreamed of, but you chose the weakest thing of all - love,” Pike mocked. “You could’ve been the most powerful man in the room,” he sneered. “But now I hold the power, I hold the lamp. And you - are - nothing.”

Next to him, Clarke lunged forward, but Bellamy held tight, trying to keep her from ending up in the crossfire between him and Pike. 

Pike saw her attempt anyway though and smiled evilly. With a snap of his fingers, he raised her up in the air, suspending her frozen above them. Another snap and Octavia, Raven and the Queen joined her. 

He had to talk Pike down. Or he’d lose everything he ever cared about. “You won’t find what you’re looking for in that lamp, Pike. I should know, I tried. And it almost cost me everything. The genie’s magic, it’s not real. It makes you into someone you aren’t. And no matter how many wishes you have, it’ll never be enough.”

Pike glared at him. “You think so? But I am the King of Arkadia, the Greatest Sorcerer to ever exist! And under my leadership, Arkadia will become the greatest empire in the world. I am no longer someone who merely advises those who make decisions. I am the one in charge! I am the one with all the power! You’re either the most powerful man in the room, or you’re nothing.”

A snap of Pike’s fingers and Bellamy was on the ground in front of him, his chest painfully constricting.

But still, there it was, the opening he needed. This half-baked plan of his might actually work.

He glanced up at Murphy, who had his head hung with guilt. But he wasn’t the one who should feel guilty - that dishonor went to Bellamy, who, if he’d freed Murphy in the first place, all of this would’ve never happened. Now it was time to right that wrong. “You could do all of that. You could conquer the world. But you will never be the most powerful.”

“What?!”

“Who made you the King, the Sorcerer? There will always be something bigger, better, and more powerful than you will ever be,” Bellamy told him, nodding his head over to Murphy, who had his head snapped to him, panicked. 

Pike swung his head around to Murphy and back around to all of them. “No!” he roared.

“Murphy gave you your power and he can take it away.”

“No! He serves ME!”

“For now, sure. But you’ll never, ever have more power than he does. You’ll always be _second_ ,” Bellamy said snarkily, just to really drive the point home to Pike. This had to work.

“Blake, what the hell are you doing?” Murphy shouted down to him. 

“I will make sure no one ever says I’m second again,” Pike muttered to himself, fumbling for the lamp at his belt.

_Yes. Come on, do it._

He chanced a quick glance back at Clarke, who was staring at him worryingly as Bellamy’s head started clouding from lack of oxygen. Pike was going to have to hurry, or he was going to pass out or worse. 

“Genie! For my third wish, I wish to become the most powerful being in the universe!”

Murphy smiled, seemingly understanding finally _why_ Bellamy had been goading him. “Wow, most powerful being, hmm? I think I might be able to make that happen… your wish is my command!” Murphy started swirling his arms around, and a great storm thundered and roared through the room. It picked up Pike, turning him into black smoke as he laughed, thinking he was finally going to get what he wanted. 

Soon, his appearance changed, resembling Murphy - larger, black smoke for a tail and…

Cuffs, around both wrists.

And a black lamp, sitting on the throne.

Pike didn’t seem to notice, shouting how he was the finally the most powerful and was going to take over the world country by country. But then, his tail of smoke started pulling him down towards the lamp.

“Wait, what is happening?!” he clamored, reaching around for something to hold onto as he got smaller and smaller. 

“Well, you’re a genie now, the most powerful being in the universe, just like you wanted,” Bellamy choked out. “But, see, the thing about genies - ”

“Without a Master, you go back into your itty bitty oil lamp,” Murphy finished.

“NO!” Pike screamed over and over until finally, he was gone, sucked into the lamp. Bellamy was finally released and able to breathe and the women that had been suspended in the air were set down, Pike’s magic undone.

For a moment, the room was still - quiet, as everyone caught their breath. He looked at his sister to make sure she was okay, before locking eyes with Clarke, relief evident all over her expression. 

One by one the guards that had been disappeared to the dungeons came rushing back in, their hands at their swords.

Queen Abigail stood. “Guards, remand Gillmer to the dungeons. See to it that he rots there,” she ordered and three guards stepped forward to follow the command. 

“A few thousand years in the Cave of Wonders ought to teach you a lesson,” Murphy mumbled, grabbing Pike’s lamp off the throne and tossing it through the air towards the forest.

The Queen started collapsing and they all darted over to reach her, Bellamy getting there first and catching her. He carried her over to the nearest chaise, setting her down gently.

“Mother, are you okay?” Clarke fussed. 

“Yes, yes, I’m fine, Clarke. Thank you, Prin - um, Bellamy,” she finished, furrowing her brows at him. At the realization that he was now going to have to answer for his deceptions, he winced and took a few steps back from them. 

“I’m - I’m so sorry for lying, Your Highness. There’s no excuse. I fell in love with your daughter and I - I made a mistake. Lots of mistakes.” He glanced at Clarke, his heart pounding with the thought that he might lose her. “I’m sorry to you too. You deserve so much, Arkadia, the world. And I - I can’t give it to you. I’m sorry, for deceiving you.”

“We all make mistakes,” Queen Abigail told him. He smiled sadly at her, appreciating the effort to forgive him, but knowing that it still didn’t undo what he did.

Octavia came up next to him and put a hand on his back softly, pushing the lamp into his hands. “Right, well, um... ” he murmured, turning to go. 

“Wait, Bellamy.”

He turned back briefly, looking up at Clarke but still unable to look her in the eyes. “I really hope you get everything you’re looking for,” Bellamy said softly. He saw her lips part and her head shake a bit before he walked over to Murphy with Octavia. 

Murphy furrowed his brows at him. “Hey, now, you won! No sad faces, okay? This is still not over! You’ve got one more wish. Let’s see… we could change the law? Make it so that this ‘must marry a prince’ business never even existed.”

“Murphy…” Bellamy sighed.

“Ooh! Or, we could turn you into something even _better_ than a Prince… I’m thinking superhero?”

He chuckled a little bit at the thought. “Murphy, no. I meant what I said to Pike. This magic, these wishes, I let it turn me into something I wasn’t. But there is one more thing I want to do, as my third wish.”

Murphy eyed him suspiciously. “Okay… let’s hear it.” He floated down to them, cracking his knuckles and his neck. “I’m ready.”

Bellamy started rubbing the lamp. “Murphy, I wish to set you free, to turn you into a human.”

“Wait, what? No, but - ” Murphy stammered with wide eyes, as the cuffs fell off his wrists and the blue smoke and oil lamp disappeared. He looked down at his new body and hands before looking back up at Bellamy. “You - I’m - _thank you_.” Murphy laughed loudly.

Bellamy nodded his head. This was what he should’ve done in the first place. Murphy looked out for him, became his friend, supported him when for Bellamy’s entire life it had just been him and Octavia. Murphy deserved to have the life he always dreamed of. 

“So what’re you going to do first?” Octavia asked, smiling as well.

Murphy smirked at them. “Well, there happens to be this woman that I’m head over heels for - ” he said looking towards Raven, who had been attending to the Queen, but was now looking over at Murphy as he walked towards her. “ - that I would love to show the world to.” 

Raven grinned and looked back at Clarke, who was smiling and waving her off towards Murphy.

“Hell yes,” she told him, meeting Murphy in the middle of the room. “We should get a ship! And you know, maybe a couple of kids, eventually, might be nice. We’d have a whole life together.”

“Your wish is my command,” Murphy said softly before dipping down and kissing Raven.

Bellamy and Octavia exchanged a happy look. He was glad his friend was getting what he wished for, for once. Octavia leaned her head on his arm.

“So what about you, big brother?” she asked softly.

He shrugged. “Our life wasn’t so bad before, right?” She chuckled. “We should go. Back to _our_ palace,” he told her and started steering them towards the balcony where Carpet was waiting for them. 

“Not so fast you two!” The Queen called out, and Bellamy’s heart sank. He thought there might be repercussions and he was ready to accept them. He sighed and turned. The queen struggled to walk towards them.

“Wait, Mother, you aren’t strong enough.”

“I am _fine_ , Clarke. But you aren’t. And I should've seen it sooner. When I lost your father, I let myself sink into my sorrow and grief and I wasn’t there for Arkadia, and I wasn’t there for you. I’m sorry. I was too afraid of losing you too, that I refused to even entertain the idea that you were growing up and needed - _deserved_ \- to make decisions for yourself. You are the leader this country needs, laws and traditions be damned,” she told Clarke, whose eyes had started welling up. She touched a palm to her cheek. “He says he loves you, do you love him?”

Clarke let out a choked sob and Bellamy’s heart stopped beating entirely.

“With all my heart.” 

And now his heart was beating furiously.

“Then go to him, and don’t waste one more second. I am so proud of you, Clarke,” Queen Abigail told her earnestly.

Clarke embraced her, and hugged her tightly. Bellamy was at a loss for words; his head barely keeping up with what was happening in front of him. 

_She said she loved him too._

Clarke slowly turned towards him, and he vaguely noted Octavia stepping away. He absently reached up to rub the back of his neck, a motion that Clarke caught and smiled at. 

_Smiled at him._

She walked slowly over to him. “So, thief. You think you were just going to run back to the city, live your life off stolen bread?” she asked with a smirk, stopping just in front of him.

He shrugged. “Suited me just fine before. I am who I am.”

“Yes, you are,” she sighed with a smile on her lips. “And what if your Princess, soon to be Queen, commands you differently?”

“Queen, hmm? Good for you, good for Arkadia.” 

She laid her arms on top of his shoulders, her fingertips grazing the dark curls at the back of his neck. “You didn’t answer my question.”

“I do as my Queen commands.”

“And what if I want you to stay here, with me?” she asked, teasing tone gone and a hopeful look in her beautiful blue eyes. 

He smiled, “I think I might be able to accommodate the request,” he whispered and she grinned wildly, laughing in the way he remembered her doing when he’d met her. The carefree, brilliant way that had captivated his heart instantly.

She surged up and captured his lips, tightening her grip around him and his hands went to waist, tugging her closer. While their first kiss had been slow and sweet and new, this one was passionate and full of promise and hope.

\-----------------------------

“The end,” Murphy finished dramatically and Bellamy started chuckling at his old friend, who put on a tough exterior, but was a sucker for his kids. His and Raven’s kids.

Ethan and Reese pouted. “But… what about the wedding?!” Reese complained.

“Yeah! I want to hear about your wedding to Mom and Uncle Bell and Aunt Clarke’s _wedding_!” Ethan insisted.

Clarke laughed next to him, burying her face in his side. “Murphy’s favorite part - the mushy stuff,” she murmured sarcastically.

“Well, it’s certainly _my_ favorite part,” he chuckled.

“That’s because you're a softie,” she teased, stretching to press a quick kiss to his lips. “I’m glad my mother took over for a while so that we could do this. I missed them,” she sighed.

Clarke had been Queen for six years, after training for a year after her mother had finally abolished the law that said she wasn’t allowed to rule without a man. She and Bellamy got married on the eve of her coronation, her mother abdicating her role as Queen.

Raven and Murphy had set off shortly after and a year later Ethan was born, Reese following a couple years behind him. 

Bellamy missed them as Clarke did, since they were always off on a new adventure, but after Abigail had insisted the kingdom would be fine if they took some time off - that she’d been happy to look after things for a while - they and Octavia (who was living at the palace with them and had finally started seeing Lincoln officially, to Bellamy’s dismay) jumped at the chance to sail around with their old friends for a while.

It was a busy life, one that he never dreamed of having, but it was full of love and laughter and the people he truly cared about. 

What else could he ask for?

“Are you going to tell stories like that to our children one day?” she asked, a mischievous glint in her eye.

“Of course I will,” he promised. “Whenever that day comes.” 

She smiled up at him. “That day may be coming sooner than you think,” she hinted, raising an eyebrow at him.

His heart pounded. “Yeah?” he breathed, looking down at Clarke’s abdomen, where her hand was resting protectively. 

“Yeah,” she confirmed.

He leaned down to kiss her, covering her hand with his, and marveled how after all this time, he could still be falling in love with her more and more every day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's a wrap! 
> 
> Still working on my next work, so keep an eye out if you're interested in a bellarke modern AU. I'll be releasing a summary on my [tumblr](https://dayo488.tumblr.com/) in the next few days and then I'm hoping Chapter 1 will be ready in a week or so.
> 
> Stay safe and healthy everyone! ❤


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